Cleaning is the removal of foreign material (e.g., soil, and organic
material) from objects and is normally accomplished using water with
detergents or enzymatic products. Thorough cleaning is required
before high-level disinfection and
sterilization because inorganic and organic materials that
remain on the surfaces of instruments interfere with the
effectiveness of these processes. Also, if soiled materials dry or
bake onto the instruments, the removal process becomes more
difficult and the disinfection or sterilization process less
effective or ineffective. Surgical instruments should be presoaked
or rinsed to prevent drying of blood and to soften or remove blood
from the instruments.
Manual
cleaning is done in use areas without mechanical units (e.g.,
ultrasonic cleaners or washer-disinfectors) or for fragile or
difficult-to-clean instruments. With manual cleaning, the two
essential components are friction and fluidics. Friction (e.g.,
rubbing/scrubbing the soiled area with a brush) is an old and
dependable method. Fluidics (i.e., fluids under pressure) is used
to remove soil and debris from internal channels after brushing and
when the design does not allow passage of a brush through a
channel. When a washer-disinfector is used, care should be taken in
loading instruments: hinged instruments should be opened fully to
allow adequate contact with the detergent solution; stacking of
instruments in washers should be avoided; and instruments should be
disassembled as much as
possible. For more detail on manual cleaning, see The Center For
Disease Controls
“Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare
Facilities, 2008” at www.cdc.gov.
ATS, Inc. provides products
and
services to assist your
office in its endeavor for
sterility assurance, protecting yourself, your patients and staff
from the spread of harmful communicable diseases.
DID YOU KNOW?
§
Autoclave Testing Service, Inc. is one of the first companies
nationwide to offer a
Mail-In sterilizer
monitoring service using biological indicators. Serving the
healthcare industry throughout the United States and Canada since
1986, we have thousands of satisfied customers.
§
We have on-line test results
allowing you to access your results at your convenience! Your
Sterilizer Test Report (STR) is posted
on-line upon completion of
culturing, offering minimum turn-around time.
§
We have 24-hour test results for Steam sterilizers!
§
We have a comprehensive Glossary of Terms related to the sterile
processing area (scroll below to view the Glossary). This is
invaluable information, assisting you with this important area of
your facility.
ATS, Inc. now
stocks sterilization pouches, sterilizer cleaners, chemical
indicator products, sterilizers (new and used), ultrasonic cleaners,
water distillers, and more! (see
Supplies).
In-Office and Mail-To-Lab Testing!
Verify the sterilization process of all steam
sterilizers which include Statim, Midmark,
Tuttnauer, Lisa, Mocom and Pelton & Crane
sterilizers.
Bowie-Dick Test
Packs should be used daily to evaluate the
performance of air-removal (vacuum) system of
dynamic pre-vacuum type sterilizers. Available
as test cards or preassembled test packs.
Internal CI’s should be used within
each pouch or package, tray, or container. Class 5
Integrators should be used in conjunction with
physical monitoring and biological indicator
testing for verifying the efficacy of a
sterilization system. (See AAMI ST79:2006)
Recordkeeping is a must for all
sterile processing departments. This ensures
accountability and allows operators to trace
errors to their source. Tips on sterilizer
maintenance and technical advice are included with
each book.
