Post operative medical device disinfection process is a crucial step to eliminate the microorganisms after the medical device is used on a patient, therefore, if the medical device is reusable, we should be given due consideration to post-operative medical device disinfection and sterilization.
In order to have an effective decontamination, instructions of manufacturer of reusable medical device should be considered, therefore, manufacturer should provide an information that includes instructions for reprocessing devices and device accessories safely and preparing them for reuse.
Reprocessing of medical devices begin with following 3 steps:
Click here to learn how to clean and sterilize the surgical power tool systems.
Spaulding Classification is a system that allows a classify instruments and items used in patient care according to infection risk into “critical”, “semicritical”, and “noncritical” categories.
According to these classification while disinfection is sufficient to kill microorganisms on some instruments, sterilization is absolutely necessary for other instruments.
PROCESSING CRITICAL INSTRUMENTS
• Penetrate or enter normally sterile tissue or spaces, including the vascular system
• Surgical instruments (elevators, bone files, rongeurs, forceps, etc.)
• Must be sterilized between uses or used as single‐use disposable devices
• Goal: Sterility = devoid of all microbial life
PROCESSING SEMI‐CRITICAL OBJECTS
• Contact mucous membranes and non‐intact skin
• Mouth mirrors, cheek retractors, handpieces
• Must be sterilized or immersed in high‐level disinfectant
• Goal: High‐level disinfection = free of all microorganisms except low numbers of bacterial spores
NON‐CRITICAL INSTRUMENTS AND DEVICES
• Contact intact skin
• BP cuffs, electrocardiogram (EKG) leads, stethoscopes
• Disinfect using a low level disinfectant
• Goal: Kill vegetative bacteria, fungi, viruses
Another factor to consider is to have a validated reprocessing. Many people claim that each instrument has different features, therefore, each instrument should be treated separately. But the general framework is the same for all instruments. Basic scheme should be as follows:
If we would like to sort the microorganisms according to their resistance, the order of them is going to be like on the table below:
As it is seen on the table above, viruses like HIV and Hepatitis are most least resistant to germicidal chemicals. Sterilization process is likely to kill most of microorganisms.
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis. However, hepatitis is often caused by a virus.
Hepatitis A is not a chronic disease. Infected person by Hepatitis A is recovered usually within a 6 months. Hepatitis A vaccine is effective around 95 % of cases and last for at least 15 years and person’s entire life.
Hepatitis B can be acute or chronic. If an infant is exposed to this virus that will remain chronically infected with HBV. Hepatitis B vaccine is effective 5 to 7 years.
Hepatitis C can be acute or chronic too. But there is no vaccine against Hepatitis C. It can be prevented only by avoiding contact with contaminated blood.
HIV virus is a virus that exerts its main effects on the immune system.
owadays, drugs developed for HIV prevent the virus from multiplying in the body and its immunosuppressive effect, enabling HIV-positive people to live a long and healthy life. For this, it is important to start treatment early and to continue regularly under doctor’s control.
There is no definitive treatment for HIV. Virus cannot be completely destroyed in the body, but it can be controlled with drugs. Purpose of treatment; to prevent the virus from happening again. Thus, the virus is less likely to develop many mutations that may be resistant to treatment.
Reprocessing of medical devices after the operation is a process to be careful. Monitoring the effectiveness of the sterilization equipment is essential.
There are several disinfectants that kill these kind of viruses within 2-3 minutes. But the safest decontamination method is sterilization. You should classify your instruments in terms of critical scheme and you should decide whether they need sterilization or disinfection.
Healthcare professionals should be vaccinated periodically and all process should be automated as far as possible in order not to be exposed the viruses.
In order to ensure sterility, knowledge of the levels and types of contamination in used surgical instruments is a primary requirement. Sterility is determined by
Product Recall; It is a voluntary withdrawal or recall from the market by the manufacturer of the device for technical and medical reasons, depending on
Stress (tension) is one of two measurable engineering quantities important in understanding the durability or fatigue life of a product. Surgical power tool systems are
Errors resulting from the cleaning process of surgical power tool systems not only pose risks to the patient. Users also have losses. In this article,
Surgical Power Tool Systems are devices that complete their preparation for use by sterilising at 135 degrees due to their area of use and design.
