Wrapping and sterilization Flashcards
what are the instruments usually made of?
stainless steel which resists rust, retains sharpness, and can come in matte or polished finish
what are some rules for instrument care before cleaning?
delicate instruments should be separated from general instruments, multiple-component instruments should be disassembled, power equipment shouldn’t be submerged, blood should be rinsed off instruments ASAP with cool water
what type of water should be used for cleaning off instruments?
distilled or deionized water since tap water could stain or corrode
what type of instrument detergent should be used for cleaning?
a neutral pH detergent diluted in cool water
how should you manually clean the instruments?
- submerge instruments in diluted instrument detergent with box locks open
- one at a time clean each surface of each instrument, scrub all sides of box lock
- inspect for organic debris
- rinse with cool water
why should you use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean the instruments after manual cleaning?
it can clean areas of the instruments that a brush can’t reach
how do you use an ultrasonic cleaner?
- place instruments in with box locks open and only put similar metals in at a time
- let the machine run
- rinse off instruments and lay out to dry
how does an ultrasonic instrument cleaner work?
cleaning cycles are usually set to 5-15 minutes, works by making little bubbles which implode in the hinges and box locks
which instruments should be lubricated?
instruments with hinges or box locks
when should you lubricate the instruments?
after every cleaning
what types of lubricant are there?
a milk bath or a spray
sometimes the lubricant can even be included in the detergent
what are some properties of instrument lubricant?
water soluble, inhibits rust formation, doesn’t interfere with steam sterilization
what should you look for when doing a final inspection of the instruments?
look for organic debris (like tissue, blood, hair) or debris (like lint or detergent)
also look for any sign of defectiveness
how do you dry the instruments?
neatly set on a towel or potty pad with box locks open
methods: air dry, blot with clean lint free towel, instrument dryer, pressurized air
what is the order of how you should clean an instrument?
- presoak/ manual cleaning
- ultrasonic cleaner
- lubricant (if it isn’t in the detergent you used)
- dry
- wrap
- sterilize
what are sterilization indicators?
strips or tape that can indicate exposure to the sterilization process via change of color
reacts to specific chemicals like steam, EO, or H2O2
what are some things that could be misleading when using chemical indicators?
they don’t indicate that the minimum sterilization requirements were met (if autoclave hits the correct temp and then temp goes right back down indicator will change color but packs won’t be sterile), tape could changes color while the strip in the pack doesn’t (troubleshoot if it’s an autoclave or tech error)
where do you place indicator strips?
in the innermost area of the pack
where do you place indicator tape?
on the outside of the pack to secure it and hold the drapes closed
what should be written with permanent marker on the outside of a pack?
date, contents, and initials
what are the 6 indicator classes?
process indicators, specific-use indicators, single-variable indicators, multi-variable indicators, integrating indicators, emulating indicators
what are sterilization pouches made of?
heat-soluble paper or plastic
when would sterilization pouches be used?
for single or paired instruments
especially for specialty instruments
how do you wrap a sterilization pouch?
- slide instrument (with blade away from pouch opening) and indicator strip into pouch
- peel off adhesive tape and fold over at perforations
can double wrap
what is used for wrapping packs?
muslin or disposable drape material
what are some important things to know for wrapping packs?
usually double wrapped with a smaller outermost cloth than the inner one, make tight but not super tight, remember to put a sterilization strip inside (for gown packs put strip in the innermost portion of the folded up gown, not just right on top of it)
how do you wrap a pack?
- place the pack in the middle of the 2 stacked muslins
- pull and fold the top part of the inner drape over the pack with the corner pointing toward you
- pull and fold over 1 of the side corners
- pull and fold over the other corner
- rotate pack 180 degrees, pull and tuck remaining corner (leave courtesy tab)
- repeat with smaller muslin
- secure with tape and label