Sterilisation Help!

Re: Sterilisation Help!

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:20:29 GMT

[quote user="Caro Laithwaite VN,"]Suggest you read what was put properly SuzyM as you are the one making them... good day[/quote]

Now, now.

Re: Sterilisation Help!

Caro Laithwaite VN — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:23:11 GMT

Suggest you read what was put properly SuzyM as you are the one making them... good day

Re: Sterilisation Help!

SuzyM — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:24:57 GMT

Hi again

My comments were not 'assumptions' but fact from a reliable source. However, there is, as you discovered, many more factors to consider and we are all more the wiser on this subject now!

Re: Sterilisation Help!

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 20:03:51 GMT

Many thanks l finally found a study after many hrs driving me nuts. Sadly assumptions written above were similar to my thoughts and are way out so am passing my dustbin of understanding round for folks to dump their thoughts in to join mine

If it has been unused i.e. cooks that can go on for years if the seal is undamaged an end date is put on for cooks protection not because they feel it needs it.

Used items are tricky:

As we in practice will be unlikely to have cleaned them properly for a start as it is almost impossible to do so.

Our cleaning is only generally medioce to ok (no matter how hard we try) and almost impossible to dislodge micro/nano particles inside serrations/hinges etc so bacteria/virus will probably survive and not be killed as protected under (dislodgeable/dislodged or unseen) dirt, put another way "dirt is a germs condom"

If items are sterilised closed and have teeth then the closed parts are not likely to be sterilised properly as the steam, gas, etc can not penetrate the closed area.

Steam can not get high enough to kill organisms, prions and certain other virus need more than we can wallop them with to kill them although gas can be considered the best of the in-house killing method but has been stated (by Suzy M) there is drawbacks there and state of item with "dirt condoms" or closed or if damp/wet must be considered

Items wet from steam should be left in a sealed autoclave until they are dry due to strike through the minute we touch a wet bag consider it unsterile as the touch will allow bacteria etc to cross the barrier it is very rare that items steamed even in a vacum will come out dry l know from the amount aqnd variety l have used around the place.

Also packing within the autoclave/gas must be considered with penetration and also correct length of time, by time heat/gas reaches the part will it be in contact for long enough to do any good if lot of items in the machine it may get to them almost at end of cycle, just cause an indicator has changed doesnt mean sterility

State of item bag after sterilisation if damaged in any way this will negate or shorten the sterile life any damage to the bag the item should be considered non sterile from that point.

And with all the first lot of points you can not actually consider any item sterile you can only consider the things that we think of as causing problems to our patients are hopefully dead.

This from what l can read on it someplace was one of the ones that made all the hospital "single use" items we see now,

Re: Sterilisation Help!

SuzyM — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 12:44:59 GMT

Most commercial products are sterilised using gamma irradiation for which penetrable packaging is not necessary, so they can be stored for longer. Also, no vaccuum or pressure is used in the process, unlike ETO and autoclave, so the packaging and its seals are not put under stress which may compromise them.

Re: Sterilisation Help!

Catherine Goulding — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:50:50 GMT

all hospital stuff stays sterile for 1 year after sterilisation and the bags are the same - just giving everyone something to think about

Re: Sterilisation Help!

F1chick — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 13:16:22 GMT

It is an interesting Q. Wonder what cooks say.......

Re: Sterilisation Help!

caz vn1 — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 12:44:44 GMT

we go by the rule that products that arrive presterilised ie cooks will remain so as per the date on the pack whereas anything sterilsed here is ok for 3 months-mind you this is using autoclave not gas so not sure how long for that!