Sterile processing & infection control blog

With so many options available, it can be challenging to determine what infection control equipment to invest in. Learn how to purchase the devices that relevant to you.

The number of surgical procedures performed outside of the traditional hospital setting has increased significantly. Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) have made convenient surgery possible in the United States. These centers have become very popular within the last two decades.

Proper packaging of instruments in an autoclave is a critical task and one that needs to be done right in order to avoid common daily errors that can easily occur without careful consideration when handling packages.

Due to the inherent potential for contamination and subsequent infection control breaches, it is imperative to establish a well-structured workflow and implement clear labeling within the steri-center

Sterilization will not happen in a steam autoclave without water. Steam sterilization uses saturated steam to the items in the autoclave. The steam comes into contact with the items placed inside the autoclave and must be free from impurities in order to avoid staining or corroding the items being autoclaved.

Not all autoclaves are made equal, and if you haven't gotten to know yours, you could be misusing it and putting your patients at risk. However, you can apply some general rules to most autoclaves to set them up for sanitization success!