Table 1.

Summary of variables used in overage and underage cost calculations

Variable	Value
Overage costs, $	0.48–1.02
Reprocessing cost, $
Simple instruments*	0.19
Complex instruments†	0.43
Time to reprocess, s
Simple instruments*	38
Complex instruments†	86
MDRD technician hourly wage, $‡	30.00
Contamination, $	0.26
Probability of contamination, %	5
Duration of time delay, min	15.35
OR time cost per minute, $	34.00
Cost to reprocess tray, $§	50
Depreciation, $	0.03–0.33
Cost of purchase, $‡	30–330
Designated no. of uses	1000
Underage costs, $	1.47–1.71
Peel-packing cost, $
Simple instruments*	0.99
Complex instruments†	1.24
Disposable packaging cost, $‡	0.80
Picking cost, $	0.11
Time to pick single item, min	5.5
No. of pick list items, mean	15
Retrieval time cost, $	0.33
Probability of occurrence, %	11
RN time to retrieve, min	4
RN hourly wage, $‡	45

MDRD = medical device reprocessing department; OR = operating room; RN = registered nurse.

^*Nonhinge, single-hinge and nonluminal instruments.

^†Multiple-hinge, luminal or sharpness-tested instruments.

^‡These data were provided by the accounting department.

^§Includes substantial fixed overhead costs that are difficult to allocate to a single tray. As such, the value used was based on the literature.⁷