There is a significant difference between cleaning the equipment and medical instrument sterilization. Cleaning only removes a top layer of organic and inorganic debris, whereas sterilization prepares the instrument for use in an operating theater.
Why Cleaning Is Important
Cleaning of the equipment before medical instrument sterilization is completed, is important because it prepares the equipment for the sterilization process. Cleaning involves the use of scrub brushes and detergents approved by the medical profession.
All residual matter must be removed from the instrument before being applied under pressurized water to ensure the device is as clean as possible before sterilization. When devices or instruments are not cleaned effectively, the sterilization process may not be able to be completed.
Almost as important, is the need to rinse and dry the instruments after they have been cleaned. This removes any of the cleaning agents attached to the items before the medical instrument sterilization is completed. It is the sterilization which will destroy microorganisms and spores from the surfaces of the instruments. This prevents infection from the instrument to the patient.
The Sterilization Process
Contract sterilization companies with a long and professional history are used by a wide range of organizations requiring comprehensive medical instrument sterilization. They can complete the task with great efficiency and effectiveness because this is their only role within the process. Without success, they would be without a business.
One of the most popular methods of sterilization is by using ethylene oxide (EtO). Plastic and electrical component devices that cannot withstand high temperatures, those that are moisture and heat sensitive, are often sterilized using the EtO method. The system has been used and perfected over decades.
Within the medical and healthcare industries, the EtO sterilization method is by far the most popular. Outsourcing to contract sterilization companies provides the highest level of standards and customer service, enabling medical and healthcare professionals to be able to address more time with their occupation, knowing that the equipment they use is perfectly sterilized.
