In hospitals and other healthcare facilities, medical instruments are used daily to treat and care for patients. To ensure patient safety, it is essential that these instruments are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to prevent the spread of infections. In this blog, I will explain how medical instruments are cleaned and disinfected.
Cleaning
The first step in cleaning medical instruments is the removal of visible dirt. This can be done by immersing the instruments in a cleaning solution or by rinsing them with water. The instruments are then thoroughly cleaned with a specially designed brush to remove all residues of tissue, blood, and other fluids.
Ultrasonic cleaning is a good method for instruments that may retain many fine particles. An ultrasonic cleaner is used to clean small instruments such as forceps and scissors, after which they are suitable for disinfection. The instruments are immersed in an ultrasonic cleaning solution and exposed to high-frequency sound waves. This ensures that all traces of biological material are removed from the instruments and that they are also cleaned in hard-to-reach areas.
The instruments are then immersed and placed in an (immersion) tray with a cleaning solution, usually an enzymatic cleaner. This type of cleaner helps break down biological material remaining on the instruments and ensures that they are thoroughly cleaned. After cleaning, the instruments are thoroughly rinsed with clean water to remove all residues of the cleaning solution.
Disinfection
After cleaning, the instruments are disinfected to kill any microorganisms that may still be present on the instruments. Depending on the type of instrument and the required level of disinfection, there are different methods for disinfecting medical instruments.
- Steam sterilization (autoclave): This is the most commonly used method for disinfecting medical instruments. The instruments are sterilized with steam under high pressure and high temperature. This process kills all microorganisms present on the instruments and makes them completely sterile.
- Chemical disinfection: This method is used for instruments that cannot withstand high temperatures and pressures, such as flexible endoscopes, or when no autoclave is available. The instruments are immersed for at least 15 minutes in a chemical disinfectant such as sekusept or an alcohol solution (at least 70%). The disinfectant kills all microorganisms on the instruments and makes them sterile.