Sterile processing & infection control blog — page 5

Dental health care workers (DHCW) encounter many risks daily. It is crucial to understand the fundamentals of sterilization and infection control. Regardless of the large penalties that the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been imposing, it is health care providers duty to take unprecedented safety precautions.

Raising the Hygiene Standard: Adapting Dental Sterilization Methods to Pre-Vacuum Cycle / Class B

A new pre-sterilization cycle to treat the viruses that may reside inside the autoclave chambers. For our class B dental and medical autoclaves.

To avoid recontamination after sterilization, packages must be dry after completion of the drying cycle when they leave the sterilizer. A ‘wet pack’ has moisture on or in the pack when removed from the autoclave. Moisture may be evident as visible dampness, droplets, or puddled water on or within a pack. Wet packs are subject to ‘wicking’ – they allow microorganisms to enter through the packaging, resulting in recontamination of sterile instruments. Wet packs can also cause instrument corrosion. It is essential that wet packs be identified and completely reprocessed. Read on to learn more about many causes and solutions to the problem of wet packs.

This webinar provides an overview of principles and key protocols in instrument decontamination and sterilization. Best practices will be addressed in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of these protocols and requirements. In addition, sources of problems and errors in sterilisation will be discussed.

Laboratory autoclaves are designed for research institutes, universities, microbiological, food, and chemical labs. These autoclaves must be able to provide high quality, dependable performance that will allow for the smooth operation of life science cutting-edge research, which drives scientific innovation as well as enabling safe sample testing.

Tuttnauer’s HSG autoclaves with the new virus protection cycle secure that any harmful virus, including Coronavirus, are destroyed before they are released back to the environment, during the air removal phase.

Sterile processing (SPD/CSSD) professionals do not receive the public attention deserved as frontline first responders to the novel coronavirus pandemic who risk their health on a daily basis to care for others.

Minimizing the risk for laboratory staff processing specimens taken from patients with possible COVID-19 is essential and in order to do so requires autoclave air handing.