CLEANING SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS BY HAND CAN LEAD TO INJURY AND INCREASED EXPOSURE TO HERPATITIS.1 THE 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
Inherent in the manual cleaning-decontamination-reprocessing of dental surgical instruments is power spraying, splashing, and the creation of contaminated aerosols. The manual cleaning-decontamination-reprocessing of dental surgical instruments presents the risk of infectious puncture wounds. The handling of each individual dental surgical instrument device is time consuming, labor intensive, renders limited through-put and has high overhead costs. 3
Clean is Safe
In the United States manufacturers of Surgical Instrument Washers are not approved by the FDA to market their products as Washer Disinfectors. However, many of the Surgical Instrument Washers are manufactured to produce the times and temperatures that can effectively deliver disinfected dental surgical instruments. If it is your preference to have cleaning reprocessing results of a "washer disinfector", refer to the Surgical Instrument Washer Specifications for assurance that the times and temperatures available are those you consider to be appropriate for disinfecting dental surgical instruments.
Automated Surgical Instrument Cleaning can safely contain within their chambers the cleaning-decontamination-reprocessing functions, removal of debris, and contaminated aerosols. The batch treatment of reprocessing dental surgical instruments using automated Surgical Instrument Washer Decontaminators Disinfectors saves time, increases material through-put, improves surgical instrument turnaround times, provides for FTE reduction, and lowers cost for surgical instrument cleaners. 7 8 It has been demonstrated that a properly designed Surgical Instrument Washer Decontaminator Disinfector, that is used to manufacturer’s specifications, will consistently and repeatedly remove all microorganisms from dental surgical instruments. 9 10
Automated Surgical Instrument Cleaning should be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s direction for use, to secure the most consistent and efficacious results. Worker safety and reprocessing efficacy can be compromised by violating the manufacturer’s recommendations. Examples of such recommendations are: Keeping the cannulated dental surgical instrument working chambers and lumens exposed during cleaning reprocessing and use multiple purified water final rinses.
A Clean Surgical Instrument Device is Safe to Handle 11
It is critical that devices are cleaned properly to secure the safety of reprocessing workers in the Clean Area. During the steps of inspection, sorting and packaging of devices, the unprotected reprocessing personnel are repeatedly at risk from a dental surgical instrument that has remained contaminated with microorganisms.
Within the implementation of the Universal Dental Surgical Instrument Reprocessing Decontamination Precautions, it is our goal to eliminate exposure and reduce the risk to Reprocessing personnel whenever possible.
Clean is Safe
Clean is Safe Conclusion
The use of proper methods for hand washing surgical instruments, (reprocessing decontamination) can render dental surgical instruments that are clean, but requires the continual exposure of the Reprocessing Staff to contaminated dental surgical instruments. The Reprocessing Staff performance is influenced by skill level, knowledge and work load. This may impact the efficacy of the process. The use of a properly designed dental surgical instrument washer decontaminator disinfector reduces the: overhead cost of reprocessing, risks to the Reprocessing Staff and provides consistence removal of all microorganisms from soiled dental surgical instruments. Once a dental surgical instrument is clean, it is then safe for further reprocessing and handling. Proper cleaning is the prerequisite for disinfecting and/or sterilizing dental surgical instruments. Optimal cleaning can render dental surgical instruments that, at the end of decontamination, cleaning, and reprocessing, are sterile.
Summary: It is a recognized risk of exposure to unidentified microorganisms that reprocessing personal endure during the decontamination, reprocessing, and cleaning of dental surgical instruments. Our goal is to minimize the amount and degree of reprocessing personal exposure to this risk and provide reprocessed dental surgical instruments that are clean: safe to handle, safe for patient care, are reprocessed at the lowest cost. Optimal decontamination cleaning-reprocessing of dental surgical instruments will secure the prerequisite for disinfecting dental surgical instruments and for sterilizing dental surgical instruments.
1. Bryan P. Simmoms, MD. Et. Al., Guideline for Hospital Environmental Control and Guideline Ranking Scheme, Center for Disease Control, (Feb. 1981), Section 2, pp.1-10.
2. Letter from the secretary of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor, Oct. 30, 1988.
3. Peggy Ryan, RN, “concepts of Cleaning Technologies and Processing,” Journal of Healthcare Material Management, (Nov./Dec. ’87), pp.20-27.
4. Bertha Y. Litsky, PhD, “Microbiology Sterilization,” J. AORN, Aug. 1977.
5. CDC, MMWR, Aug. 21, 1987.
6. Ryan, op. cit.
7. Training manual for Central Services Technicians, American Society for Central Service Personnel of the American Hospital Association, (Chicago, IL, 1986).
8. Ryan, op. cit.
9. L.P. Jette’and N.G.Lambert, “Evaluation of Two Hot Water Washer Disinfectors for Medical Instruments, “ Infection Control Hospital Epidemiology, Vo.1 9, No. 5, (1988), pp. 194-199.
10. Interview with Charles A. Reed, Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University medical Center, Dec. 1985.
11. Simmons, op. cit.
John Temple
Product Development
Cleaning can be Safe. Clean is Safe.
CLEANING SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS BY HAND CAN LEAD TO INJURY AND INCREASED EXPOSURE TO HERPATITIS.1 THE 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
