Sterilizing medical instruments is a must to ensure the safety of the patients, medical professionals, and the planet. The equipment should be kept clean and sterilized every time it is being used. However, the process of cleaning has to be effective. Otherwise, the chances of a disease spreading will be there. Get proper equipment from a leading sterilization equipment supplier in Kolkata.
Process of Sterilizing Medical Instruments
To prevent the spreading of different ailments, hospitals and nursing facilities usually have an attack plan. This plan of attack or germ warfare agenda follows a few steps in a precise order. Let’s have a look at them.
- Cleaning – This is the foremost step as it comes to keeping healthcare tools disinfected. After the process is done, a vigorous disinfecting process takes place.
- Disinfecting – The next step is disinfecting the instruments. Usually, liquid chemicals are used for killing non-spore-forming germs and bacteria.
- Sterilizing – Finally, it comes to sterilization. There are many methods of sterilization. The process is meant for killing disease-causing bacteria and other microorganisms. It also ensures the elimination of transmissible organisms like spores and bacteria.
The process of disinfection or sterilization depends on the usage of the tools and instruments. Whether it needs low-level disinfection, high-level sterilization or high-level disinfection depends on the types of the objects mentioned below:
- Critical items – Equipment that comes in contact with the sterile tissues
- Non-critical items – A stethoscope that comes in contact with intact skin
- Semi-critical items – An endoscope coming in contact with mucous membrane
Benefits of Sterilization
In case of invasive medical procedures, the mucous membranes or the sterile tissues come in contact with the surgical instruments. This generates the risk of the introduction of pathogenic microbes that may result in a serious infection. If you don’t sterilize the instruments properly, the chance of infection gets increased. And this is harmful to both the medical professionals and the patients. So, the germs must be destroyed. Let’s have a quick look at the major benefits of sterilizing medical instruments.
- Elimination of blood, pus, dirt, and various foreign objects that might lead to severe complication for the next patient coming for surgery and the same equipment is being used
- Removal of the breeding ground for the germs is ensured
- Reduction of bioburden or the number of non-sterilized germs is another good advantage
- Safe transportation of the instruments to be packed and or assembled for disinfection or sterilization is guaranteed
In a nutshell, both disinfection and sterilization ensure the safe use of invasive and non-invasive medical instruments.