Decontamination: Operator Level and Process Overview 1 Flashcards
What is the criteria of the box that you place your dirty instruments in?
HAS TO HAVE:
- A rigid durable leak proof container
- It must have a tight fitting lid
- And must be easily cleaned and disinfected
- The dirty and clean containers have to be distinguishable from each other e.g. be of a different colour so you don’t get mixed up.
What must you carry out before “donning” of PPE?
Hand hygiene.
What are the steps in the decontamination cycle?
Cleaning Transport Disinfection Inspection Packaging Sterilisation Transport Storage Use Transport.
Where does the “disposal stage” fit in during the decontamination cycle?
During inspection of the instruments.
Where does the “acquisition” stage fit in during the decontamination cycle?
During the cleaning stage
-Acquisition- loaning or purchase of instruments.
How many times should you check your AWD equipment?
Daily and weekly.
What are the 5 checks you should do to your AWD equipment?
Verify the spray arms rotate freely and without obstruction and that none of the jets are blocked
Verify that the load carrier is not damaged and has no debris or parts of instrumentation from previous cycles
That the strainers on the filters on the bottom on the chamber are clear with no blockages present
We check that the door seal, which is the white rubber seal in the machine we are using, is in tact and there is no contamination or debris present that might prevent it from sealing
That there is a sufficient amount of chemical within the reservoir on the machine, for the cycle we are running.
What is the guidance document you have to follow for guidance on operating equipment?
SHTM 2030.
When you open the door of an automated washer disinfector- what sits on top of the door?
The load carrier.
What is a disadvantage of using an ultra sonic bath compared to a AWD?
There is a risk of cross contamination, but an AWD uses fresh water at the start of every cycle and an ultra sonic bath does not.
How do you place instruments into an awd?
Don’t overlap or shadow instruments
If placing something like tweezers in it- make sure the legs are apart and stable.
What is present on the left side of an AWD?
The hand pieces are attached to a rail and this allows water to flow inside them while the water system cleans the outside.
What is an assembly?
An instrument with more than one part and they are placed at the right hand side of an awd.
What do manufacturers state than an AWD must have?
Have a sufficient, validated washing and cleaning process which will remove all biological matter and contamination from the surface of instruments. This can consist of numerous stages
The machine must then carry out a thermal disinfection, saturating all of the items being processed, with water heated to 90-95 degrees Celsius, for a set hold time
The machine must then dry all of the instruments, generally using hot air, so that at the end of the cycle it is dry and the majority of excess moisture has been removed. Wet instrumentation can cause problems for us as we reach the sterilisation stage with out decontamination cycle.
What are the stages of an AWD that must be carried out?
Prewash/flush- initial stage and uses water below 35 degrees. This stage removes gross decontamination and helps to saturate remaining decontamination, making it easier for the following stages to remove
Main wash/wash- the stage of the cycle is supplemented with detergent. It must be heated to the temperature specified by the detergent manual (45-65 degrees). This is for the efficacy of the detergent. The cycle is validated with the specific detergent used so we must continue to use this detergent, or have a re-validation carried out
Rinse- removes any remaining residue from previous stages.
