Helpful features to the text include over 300 color photos and charts and an easy-to-read format that identifies key words and concepts. Additionally, the Eighth Edition also includes several chapters focusing on unique aspects of CS, such as tools for cleaning, point of use preparation and transport, complex surgical instruments, point of use processing, tracking systems and ambulatory surgery and related practices.

All of the text's chapters have been tailored to meet the educational needs of today's (and tomorrow's) Central Service Professionals. Topics such as microbiology, medical terminology, and anatomy and physiology are presented with a focus on what the CS professional needs to know.