Tech in Surgery Prep / Unit 6 TSC 142 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Matching Method to Material
The idea
The sterilization method for a device is chosen by what the device is made of and what its manufacturer has validated.
In practice
Work through the choice in order. First, if the item tolerates heat and moisture, steam is preferred, because it is dependable, fast, inexpensive and nontoxic. Second, if heat or moisture would damage it, a low-temperature method is chosen: ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, or a peracetic acid system, each with its own limits on materials, packaging and lumens. Third, if it is a powder or oil that steam cannot penetrate, dry heat may be used. Fourth, in every case, the device manufacturer's instructions name the methods that have been tested for that device, and those instructions decide.
Where people slip
Using a method the manufacturer has not validated can leave a device unsterile or damage it. A scrub person who sees an unfamiliar device in a tray asks how it was processed rather than assuming.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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