Disinfection Process and Complex Instumentation

Question 1

K wire

Answer 1

A short, stainless-steel wire for temporary fixation of bone fragments that is sharp on both ends and comes in a range of size options.

Must use power to drive wires into bone.

Question 2

Pneumatic-powered instruments

Answer 2

Surgical instrumentation powered by compressed nitrogen gas.

Question 3

Cannula

Answer 3

A part of the instrument that has a channel passing through the entire length, such as with an endoscope, that allows for a guide wire to be passed through.

Question 4

Battery-powered instruments

Answer 4

Surgical instrumentation that uses specialized batteries to run. Batteries may or may not be able to be sterilized, see the IFU.

Question 5

Rigid endoscope

Answer 5

Type of minimally invasive endoscope for viewing into a body cavity or space.

Stiff and made of metal.

Question 6

Flexible endoscope

Answer 6

Endoscope for viewing into a body cavity or tract that requires bending around corners or curves for viewing and diagnosis.

Question 7

Loaner instruments

Answer 7

Surgical instrumentation not owned by the facility.

Instruments come in several pans and are provided by a vendor company approved by the healthcare facility.

Question 8

Disinfection

Answer 8

The removal of all pathogenic microorganisms, except for spores, from inanimate objects.

Question 9

Sterilization

Answer 9

Rendering an inanimate object free of all microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores.

Question 10

Spaulding Classification System

Answer 10

A system designed to designate the degree of risk microorganisms on an inanimate object pose to patient safety.

This system helps to determine which items need disinfection as opposed to sterilization for patient safety.

Question 11

Low-level disinfection

Answer 11

This process is used for low-risk items that come into contact with the skin, such as a tabletop or wheelchair handles.

Question 12

Total hip arthroplasty

Answer 12

Surgical replacement of a deteriorated organic hip joint.

Replaced with a metal implant designed for mobility without pain.

Question 13

Vendor pan

Answer 13

Surgical instruments that are brought into a facility from an approved medical device company.

These pans have the necessary surgical instrumentation for orthopedic and spinal surgeries such as arthroplasty and fusions.

Question 14

Surgical rep

Answer 14

These are employees of the medical device companies who have been approved to be in the OR for surgical procedures using their company’s products.

These are vetted experts on their products who also deliver and pick up the loaner pans in sterile processing.