Sterile processing & infection control blog — page 11

This is not just another ho-hum article about steam, temperature, and pressure. Instead, we have a unique perspective on what makes steam such a great fit for sterilizers...

This is not just another ho-hum article about steam, temperature, and pressure. Instead, we have a unique perspective on what makes steam such a great fit for sterilizers...

Let’s test your steam IQ. What’s the white smoke called that comes out of your tea kettle?

Let’s just review what happens in the autoclave. We open the door, and place the load [1] [2] inside the autoclave chamber. The load refers to whatever we wish to sterilize, i.e., surgical instruments, as well as laboratory essentials like solids, liquids, or hollows. Once we close the door and set the autoclave to the appropriate cycle, water begins to enter the chamber and heat up to 121℃ or 134℃, thus creating steam. Steam can be produced either inside the chamber or externally by a steam generator.

Weston “Hank” Balch, director of Sterile Processing Operations at KentuckyOne Health, asserts in the following article that we are now living in the Age of Sterile Processing.

Working under pressure is no fun. Deadlines, stress, headaches, a demanding boss. But if you’re an autoclave, you work best under pressure.

Trabajar bajo presión no es divertido. Plazos, estrés, dolores de cabeza, un jefe exigente. Pero si tú eres un autoclave, trabajas mejor bajo presión.

It is important for us that you see beyond the end product and get a glimpse behind the scenes. Tuttnauer is a winning combination of people and technology.

An introduction to the important processes of cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization in hospitals.