Manual Washing and Cleaning Flashcards
What is removed during the cleaning stage?
proteins or prion
what is crucial before any cleaning is carried out?
PPE is donned
- apron
- visor/face shield
- heavy duty rubber gloves
what are the essentials of manual cleaning?
- must be a dedicated sink for manual washing (cannot be used for any other purpose)
- water used must be between 30-35 degrees
- chemical detergents are used
why is it essential that the water temperature is precise during manual cleaning?
Exceeded temperatures may damage the efficacy of the chemical
how are instruments cleaned during manual cleaning?
- instruments scrubbed below the surface of the water with a long handled, soft brush
why should a metallic brush NEVER be used for manual cleaning of instruments?
can damage the instruments and remove the top layer leading to corrosion
why should you always scrub below the surface of the water when manual cleaning?
- minimise splashing
- prevent aerosols
how does the ultrasonic bath work to clean instruments?
uses very high frequency sound waves to produce bubbles that implode and have a scouring effect on the instruments
what water temperature should be used in ultrasonic baths?
20-30 degrees celsius
Before ultrasonic equipment can be use, what must be done?
Degas cycle must be ran
- chamber filled with water & detergent
- standard production cycle ran with the chamber empty
what are some reasons for using manual and ultrasonic cleaning?
- manually scrubbing with a brush exerts a greater force than the washer-disinfect or
- some pieces of equipment require manual washing as per instructions
- ultrasonic baths are good at removing contamination
what are some reasons against using manual and ultrasonic cleaning?
- member of staff required to be there for whole process
- risk of aerosol production
- risk of contaminating the environment
- potential for inconsistency due to human error
- risk of sharps injury
