6. Preparation of surgical packs, sterilization Flashcards
- Preparation of surgical packs, sterilization
Preparation of surgical packs:
* Instruments and linens must be cleaned of gross contamination
* Instruments cleaned manually or with ultrasonic cleaning equipment
* Linens laundered
* As soon as possible after surgery
* Immersing instruments for long periods of time in any solution can
prove damaging (never longer than 20 minutes)
* Cleaning is followed by packaging and sterilization
Sterilization:
* Any equipment or supplies that come in contact with body tissues or blood must be sterile
- Methods:
* Steam sterilization=
>destroys all known microorganisms by coagulation and cellular protein denaturation
>practical and dependable
>heat-tolerant medical supplies and packaging
->autoclave:gravity displacement sterilizer (15-30 min at 121°C)
->prevacuum sterilizer (3-4 min at 132-135 °C)
* Chemicals
* Plasma
* Ionizing radiation
* Cold chemical sterilisation
* Variety of advantages and disadvantages for each method
