OBJECTIVE To explore the practical application effect of a closed-loop traceable information system in the management of reusable surgical instruments in the hospital′s central sterile supply department (CSSD).

METHODS A before-and-after controlled study design was adopted. A total of 463 types of surgical instrument sets (4 703 set instances) managed under the traditional CSSD instrument management mode at the Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University in Jun. 2023 were selected as the control group. In Jun. 2024, 465 types of surgical instrument set categories (6 941 set instances) managed through the CSSD closed-loop traceable information management system were selected as the experimental group. The differences in five key management indicators between the two groups were compared, including the circulation duration of reusable surgical instruments, the completeness rate of cleaning, disinfection and sterilization records, the daily duration for counting sterilized instrument sets in the operating room, the registration rate of patient usage information for surgical instrument sets and the compliance rate between consumable inventory and actual consumption.

RESULTS After the implementation of the new system in the experimental group, the circulation duration of reusable surgical instruments and the daily duration for counting sterilized instrument sets in the operating room significantly shortened compared with the control group (original system) (both P < 0.001). The completeness rates of cleaning and disinfection records increased from 93.95% to 100.00% (both P < 0.001), and the completeness rate of sterilization records increased from 96.15% to 100.00% (P=0.004). The registration rate of patient usage information for surgical instrument sets increased from 30.83% to 92.91% (P < 0.001). Compared to the original system, which lacked statistical functions, the usage rates of five types of requested consumables all increased to over 90%.

CONCLUSION The application of the CSSD closed-loop traceable information system optimizes the management process of reusable surgical instruments, effectively shortens the circulation and counting durations of instruments, improves the completeness and accuracy of information records, and achieves refined management of consumables, thereby significantly enhancing the work quality and service efficiency of the CSSD.