"Washer Sterilizers"
It is widely understood that "Washer Sterilizers" do not sterilize surgical Instruments. Then why do we call them "Washer Sterilizers" ?
Surgical Instrument Washers, Washer Decontaminators Washer Disinfectors were referred to as "Washer Sterilizers" by manufacturers prior to the FDA regulations that require approval for a products marketing terminology is based on evidence of product efficacy. Products, such as Washer Sterilizers, that were manufactured prior to the the FDA Regulations can continue to call their products by their pre-regulation terminology. The only products that can be called "Washer Sterilizers" are those that were being manufactured prior to the enactment of the FDA Regulations.
It has been demonstrated that a properly designed Surgical Instrument Washers (Washer Decontaminators and/or Washer Disinfectors) can consistently deliver surgical instruments that are sterile. Surgical Instrument Washers are not intended to be Washer Sterilizers. One research study states: "All instruments and utensils tested were sterile at the completion of the process." Click Here to review the APIC Abstract. This study was initiated to discover a higher quality cleaning outcome and an acceptable replacement for the "Washer Sterilizer".
Washer Sterilizers Sterilizing Surgical Instruments
Washer Sterilizers Cleaning Surgical Instruments
Washer Sterilizers Decontaminating Surgical Instruments
Washer Sterilizers Cleaning Surgical Instruments
Washer Sterilizers Decontaminating Surgical Instruments
Summary: It is a recognized risk of exposure to unidentified microorganisms that reprocessing personal endure during the decontamination, reprocessing, and cleaning of surgical instruments. Our goal is to minimize the amount and degree of reprocessing personal exposure to this risk and provide reprocessed surgical instruments that are clean: safe to handle, safe for patient care, are cleaned, reprocessed at the lowest cost. Optimal decontamination cleaning-reprocessing of surgical instruments will secure the prerequisite for disinfecting surgical instruments and/or sterilizing surgical instruments.
Typically, Healthcare Facilities manually clean hand-wash surgical instruments: with dried on or excessive debris, surgical instruments that are cannulated, surgical instruments with working channels and/or surgical instruments with lumens. Healthcare Facilities also manually clean hand-wash surgical instruments, when a surgical instrument washer decontaminators or washer disinfectors is not available. Hand washing surgical instruments places the reprocessing personnel at risk. In the decontamination area, surgical instruments are received that are contaminated with variable amounts of debris and unidentified microorganisms. In the Clean Side reprocessing area, surgical instruments requiring further reprocessing are handled by unprotected reprocessing personnel.
CLEANING SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS BY HAND CAN LEAD TO INJURY AND INCREASED EXPOSURE TO HERPATITIS.1 T HE CDC BELIEVES THAT AS MANY AS 18,000 HEALTH CARE WORKERS PER YEAR MAY BE INFECTED BY THE HBV,” AND “AS MANY AS 300 DEATHS MAY RESULT ANNUALLY.”2
