Storage of Instruments

Question 1

How long can pouched instruments be stored for?

Answer 1

1 year

Question 2

How long can unpouched instruments in a clinical environment be stored for?

Answer 2

1 day

Question 3

How long can unpouched instruments in a non clinical environment be stored for?

Answer 3

1 week

Question 4

What should you do if you find an instrument with the pouch damaged, and why?

Answer 4

Re-sterilise it, this is because aerosols can collect on the instrument and then be passed onto the patient who that instrument is used on via indirect transmission

Question 5

How are your instruments stored?

Answer 5

They are pouched and stored in the drawers in our surgery

Question 6

How do you transport clean instruments to where they are being stored?

Answer 6

They are transported in a dedicated clean box

Question 7

How do you transport dirty instruments to the decontamination room?

Answer 7

They are transported in 2 designated dirty boxes, 1 with disinfection solution in to keep the instruments moist and 1 with no solution in for the hand pieces