Page 41 of 56 Pages
7.1
Instruments
9.
Place empty containers upside down to prevent accumulation of water.
10.
All instruments must be sterilized in an open position.
11.
Use single-use wraps once only and discard after use.
12.
Place a sterilization indicator strip on the tray.
13.
Place instruments with ratchets opened and unlocked or clipped on the first
ratchet position.
14.
Disassemble or sufficiently loosen multiple-part instruments prior to
packaging to permit the sterilizing agent to come into contact with all parts
of the instrument.
15.
Tilt on edge items prone to entrap air and moisture, e.g. hollowware, so that
only minimal resistance to removal of air, the passage of steam and
condensate will be met.
16.
Load items within the boundaries of the tray so that they do not touch the
chamber walls.
17.
The operator may use racks to allow for adequate separation of packaged
instruments.
18.
Allow a distance of approximately 2.5 cm (1”) between trays to permit
steam circulation.
19.
Once a week, use a biological spore test indicator in any load to make sure
sterilization is performed efficiently.
20.
Make sure that all instruments remain apart during the sterilization cycle.
21.
Empty canisters should be placed upside-down, in order to prevent
accumulation of water.
7.2
Packs
22.
Place packs upright on trays, side by side.
23.
Packs should not touch the chamber walls.
24.
Pack instrument sets in a manner that prevents damage to delicate items.
25.
Pack hollowware sets so that all openings face the same direction and so
that the contents cannot move inside the pack.
26.
Load packs of folded operating room drapes with layers vertical, allowing
air to be removed from the packs rapidly.
