Which statement is true regarding loaner instrument trays received from other facilities?

The correct statement regarding loaner instrument trays received from other facilities is that they must be decontaminated before use. This is essential because loaner instruments can potentially carry contaminants or biological material from the facility they originated from. All medical instruments, especially those that come from external sources, must undergo a strict decontamination and sterilization process to ensure patient safety and compliance with infection control protocols.

Using loaner instruments immediately without any precautions can pose significant risks, as they may not have been properly sterilized according to the receiving facility's standards. It is a fundamental practice in central services and sterile processing to treat all loaner instruments as if they are contaminated, necessitating thorough cleaning, decontamination, and resterilization before they can be safely utilized on patients.

In addition, there is no scenario in which these instruments can skip the essential steps of cleaning and sterilization. This approach safeguards against potential infections and upholds high standards of surgical safety. Thus, the emphasis on decontamination is critical in the management of loaner instrument trays.