there's
contact between a patient's mucous membranes or sterile tissue and a surgical
instrument or medical device. A significant risk of these types of procedures
is introducing pathogenic microbes, potentially resulting in infection. When
you don't properly disinfect or sterilize medical equipment, it increases the
risk of infection due to the breach of host barriers.
For
both hospital staff and patients alike, germs need to be destroyed to reduce
the spread of infections. A prime example of this is fighting against
healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are infections hospital patients
get due to their hospital stay. Surgical instruments, contaminated equipment or
improper staff hygiene can cause HAIs
·
It
eliminates pus, blood, foreign particles and dirt left behind that could lead
to dangerous complications for the next patient requiring surgery where the
medical practitioner uses the instrument.
·
It
decreases bioburden -- the number of non-sterilized bacteria living on a
surface.
·
It
prevents the corrosion of expensive and highly precise tools that have delicate
pivots and hinges.
·
It
removes the breeding ground for the surviving germs.
·
It
ensures the safe transport of equipment needing to be packed and assembled for
sterilization or disinfection.
Decontamination & Sterilization: In the Sterile Single Use surgical instruments there is an absolute guarantee that each examination will be performed with a completely clean and sterile instrument, since the Sterile Single Use instruments are disposed of after each procedure. This also eliminates the need for a lengthy and costly decontamination process as seen with reusable instruments. In the case of a smaller surgery or clinic, use of Sterile Single Use instruments therefore removes all the costs associated with operating an autoclave, including adherence to compliance regulations and expenditures such as the dead time spent running decontamination cycles.
Risk Management: The
danger posed by 'prion diseases' such as 'Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease'
(vCJD), and the like, is a major consideration when considering a move to
Sterile Single Use surgical instruments. It is reported that the prion found in
neurological tissue that
infects a person with vCJD, can survive for up to 10 decontamination cycles, suggesting that many reusable surgical instruments are being utilised in a contaminated state.
Instrument
Traceability:
Every item of the Sterile Single Use surgical instrument range is individually traceable all the way back to its production date and batch, with a tear off ID strip that can be placed on patients notes. It is recommended that the ID numbers for traceability are recorded on the patients notes. This can be useful for investigation of compliance occurring after surgery is completed.
User questions & answers