Introduction
The Sterile Processing Department (Central Supply, or Sterile Supply as it is also known), comprises that service within the hospital in which medical/surgical supplies and equipment, both sterile and nonsterile, are cleaned, prepared, processed, stored, and issued for patient care.
Until the 1940s, medical/surgical supplies were, for the most part, processed and maintained in the departments and patient care areas in which they were to be used. Under this system, there was considerable duplication of effort and equipment, and it was difficult to maintain consistently high standards for sterilization technique and product quality throughout the health care facility.