Sterile processing & infection control blog — page 2

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!

An isothermal process is a thermodynamic process in which the temperature of a system remains constant. The transfer of heat into or out of the system happens so slowly that thermal equilibrium is maintained.

Running a subpar autoclave puts your dental practice at a higher risk of spreading infections, cross-infection, and contamination. One of the key factors to achieving proper infection control in dental practices is having the most effective equipment. This includes an autoclave that meets international standards and all the regulatory requirements.

What is one of the most common applications of laboratory autoclaves? Processing liquids. Think of how many beakers of liquids must be sterilized on a daily basis in universities, research centers, and biotech labs...

As a dentist, dental hygienist, or support staff at a dental clinic, you know that having a reliable, effective autoclave is essential to the smooth operation of the clinic. Also called a steam sterilizer, the autoclave is the machine that harnesses the power of high temperature and high-pressure steam in order to sterilize germs on dental equipment, such as forceps, intended for reuse, thus ensuring its safety for the next patient.

Purchasing a Plasma sterilizer is a significant investment. The purchasing cost is only the tip of the iceberg of the total cost that includes the cost of running and not running the sterilizer, which together amounts to more than 97% of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). If you are considering buying a Plasma sterilizer, you should take a very close look at the total cost impact.

Regularly monitoring the sterilizer in a dental office is integral to infection control. Biological monitoring is the gold standard for assessing and assuring proper sterilization of dental instruments.