This study focuses on the Central Sterile Supply Department, CSSD, which is responsible for wash-up, sterilization, supply, and recovery of medical instruments used within a hospital. Together with the architectural features as plan-forms, sizes, installations, specifications, and location within the hospital, the management features as staff allocations, task responsibilities, and task procedures are surveyed in hospitals in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan to clarify the main issues in seek for the directions in the planning and design of CSSD and TSSU (Theatre Sterile Supply Unit). Through this international comparison, the variations in floor area sizes, segregations of task areas, staff allocations, and task responsibilities are clarified, and the architectural and management adjustment proposal are presented.
