The objective of this descriptive study was to identify the physical, chemical and biological controls of the sterilization process by saturated steam in Pasteur autoclaves at Material and Sterilization Centers (MSC). The data was obtained by interviewing the worker responsible for the MSC of the largest hospital in every city in the interior of Goiás that had population of at least 20,000, in the period from August 2005 to June 2006. A total 44 municipalities participated. The analysis was performed using SPSS software. In 31 (94.0%) hospitals there were no nurses exclusive to the MSC, the workers responsible for the center were nursing aides and technicians. Most did not perform any physical, chemical and biological control of the sterilization process, and, in one case only these controls were performed simultaneously. Failing to monitor the sterilization cycles, and thus not ensuring the quality of the processes, is a risk to the population being assisted.

Objective: to characterize the moments when there is a need for hand hygiene (HH) by employees who work in Material and Sterilization Center (MSC). Method: we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in the MSC of a large hospital, from July to November 2012, in Goiânia, state of Goiás, Brazil. Data obtained through observation of workers, following a previously evaluated and tested checklist. Results: to the dirty area, standardized moments of HH were enough. In the clean area, "Extra moments with indication" for HH, resulting from the work process, such as: after disinfecting benches, after verifi cation and inventory of consigned products, before assembling boxes/trays, before loading and unloading the autoclave, before handling and distributing health care products, among others, were necessary. Conclusion: the moments of HH in the dirty area coincide with indications of the clinical practice; and, in the clean area, characteristic moments of the work process were captured.

Cross-sectional descriptive study with a quantitative approach, whose objectives were to identify those responsible for the care of sterilized healthcare products after their distribution to inpatient units, structural and material resources available for transportation and storage, and to describe the care given to transport and storage of sterilized healthcare products in inpatient units, and the occurrence of events related to these products. Data were collected by checklist in a large teaching hospital from July to September 2012, completed by direct observation and interviews with nursing managers. After descriptive analysis, none of the 11 units met all recommendations concerning the structure, material resources or work processes for the transport and storage of sterilized healthcare products. Events related revealed lack of care of the healthcare teams in the units, and consequent risk to maintaining product sterility and patient safety.

Estrutura física das unidades de endoscopia: a realidade do reprocessamentoThe physical structure of endoscopy units: the reality of reprocessing Estructura física de las unidades de endoscopía: la realidad del reprocesamiento