Surgical Instrument Care
Surgical Instrument Cleaning Treatments
The all-in-ONE Surgical Instrument Detergent Enzyme Lubricant Cleaners replace: surgical instrument detergent cleaning pre wash products, enzyme surgical instrument cleaners, surgical instrument detergents, surgical instrument lubricants, ultrasonic surgical instrument cleaning solutions, and automated washer disinfector detergents.
The primary purpose of cleaning surgical instruments is to remove all inorganic and organic proteinaceous bioburden material from the internal and external surfaces cleaning surgical instruments inside and out with careful attention to cleaning cannulated surgical instruments.
The secondary purpose of cleaning surgical instruments is to maintain and improve the “passive Layer” of surgical stainless steel. The passive layer is provided by the manufacturer of the surgical instruments, within the surgical stainless steel, to resist (prevent) corrosion. Proper cleaning of the surgical instrument will maintain and improve this passive layer. (for more information go to: Prevent Corrosion ) If the manual cleaning, brushing and rinsing steps are not properly carried out, protein debris can harden and lead to formation of biofilm on the surgical instrument, i.e. the biopsy channel of an endoscope. The optimal surgical instrument cleaning protocol will break down proteinaceous bioburden and clean the surface. Inadequate cleaning can result in material remaining on the surgical instrument which will prevent disinfection and sterilization fluids or gases reaching all parts of the potentially contaminated device. Inadequate sterilization or disinfection sterilization and may in turn result in transmission of infectious organisms when the device is reused. The intricate design and delicate materials of flexible scopes complicate the cleaning process. This requires repetitive and consistent oversight.
All disinfection processes, whether done manually or done automatically in a surgical instument washer decontaminator disinfector, can only be effective if prior cleaning is adequate. Effective disinfection or sterilization of an inadequately cleaned surgical instrument or scope is not possible. Endoscopes should be cleaned with an enzymatic enzyme detergent compatible with the endoscope immediately after use and before manual or automated disinfection. Cleaning involves the entire endoscope, including valves, working channels, connectors and all detachable parts. High level enzymatic enzyme detergent formulations ("Enzymatic" Surgical Instrument Cleaners), in combination with a high level surfactant chemical complex, have been shown to be effective in removing stains, hard water deposits, and encrusted bioburden, while being safe to use for rigid or flexible scopes.
Enzymes: if the cleaning solution becomes laden with bioburden from previous cleaning, the efficacy of the enzyme cleaning concentrates is lower. When a cleaning concentrate states that is it "multi-tiered", the inference is that is contains: protease (enzyme) which break protein debris into smaller, more soluble subunits, amylase (enzyme) which catalyses the breakdown of starch, and lipase (enzyme) which breaks up fat-containing debris and carbohydrates. When a detergent cleaning concentrate states that is it "high-level", the inference is that is contains a high concentration of enzymes. When a cleaning concentrate states that is provides "enzyme activity" the inference is that is contains enzymes but this is usually is a misrepresentation of ingredients for a detergent cleaning concentrate that does not contain enzymes. Enzymes are effective and they are costly for manufacturers to include in the formulation. As is true for all detergent cleaning concentrates, the most effective test is against your most difficult cleaning challenge. The two most common tests for cleaning concentration efficacy that are commercially available are the "TOSI Test" and the "film test". Be aware that some manufacturers use advertising wordage and product names that imply enzymes are an active ingredient but do not actually include enzymes in their product formulation. Refer to product labels and ingredients for disclosure.
Enzyme Cleaning Concentrates
Enzyme cleaning concentrates function more effectively at temperatures above room temperature. The optimal range begins as > 22C - 72°F with performance reaching it's peak at 58.3C - 137F. This is often referred to as the optimal temperature for the performance or activity of enzymatic action. The activity of enzymes does not stop at higher temperatures but the level of performance does begin to decrease. Enzyme cleaning concentrates enzyme-detergents and all-in-one cleaning concentrates, which include enzymes, should be used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and the recommendations of the medical devices being cleaned.
Today, we understand that cleaning surgical instruments is as important as the sterilizing the surgical instruments. Today’s surgical instrument cleaning process requires increasingly sophisticated surgical instrument cleaning concentrates. Detergents, which are used in these processes, can be mild, with a neutral pH, or they may be more aggressive, with values in the alkaline range of the pH scale. A number of hospitals and surgical centers are effectively using neutral pH “combination” enzymatic enzyme detergent cleaners for reprocessing surgical instruments.
easy FOAM-it pre wash Surgical Instrument Enzyme Lubricant Detergent, 12 ea. per case,
for hydrating debris, removing rust, encrustation, and improving the cleaning process.
for use at the decontam work sink for cleaning surgical instruments, utensils and scopes.
for surgical instrument washers, washer disinfectors, and ultrasonic instrument cleaners.
for surgical instrument washers, washer disinfectors, and ultrasonic instrument cleaners.
for surgical instrument washers, washer disinfectors, and ultrasonic instrument cleaners.
The surgical instrument cleaner with lubricant cleans surgical instruments residue free.