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loading the basket and cleaning instruments...
It is very important that the instruments are cleaned as soon as possible
after contamination. The time from contamination until cleaning/further
processing is called the Decontamination Holding Time (DHT). No matter
what type of contamination is on the instruments, the DHT should always
be kept to a minimum, as dried contamination is harder to remove than
‘fresh’ contamination.
The DHT is particularly important where blood contaminations are present.
‘Fresh’ or ‘wet’ blood is easily removed whereas dried blood is not. This is
firstly because blood contains haemoglobin that becomes insoluble when
dried. Secondly, fibrin, a fibrous protein that is built up during coagulation
is also insoluble. These proteins easily adhere to the surfaces of surgical
instruments making them difficult to remove even with the aid of strong
chemical cleaners.
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after contamination, instruments should be rinsed in
fresh COLD water to remove visible soiling. Care should be taken to avoid
aerosol production.
The items should then be loaded into the basket, which should be lowered
into the tank. The loaded basket may then remain in the tank for a short
time before being exposed to the ultrasonic cycle. You may wish to leave
the instruments for several minutes if the contamination was dried, or you
could decrease the power and increase the cleaning time. 3 minutes
ultrasonic cleaning at 100% power is the same as 6 minutes ultrasonic
cleaning at 50% power, however the soaking time is doubled allowing any
dried-on contamination to be softened.
Please note:
Always place the instruments in the basket and NOT on the base of
the tank.
Ensure that instruments with hinges or joints are fully open.
DO NOT overload the basket. There should only be one layer of
instruments and NONE of the instruments should be in contact with
each other.
