In the hospital and scientific field, prevention in terms of risk of infection is truly fundamental and is carried out through sterilisation.
Literally therefore,the concept of sterilization encompasses any physical or chemical process that leads to the destruction of any type of microorganism or potentially pathogenic biological agent.
It therefore becomes a key moment in the perfect functioning of operating rooms or chemical laboratories.
Let's see the different methods ofsterilization commonly used.
The importance of sterilization in the medical field
In fact, any instrument that in any way comes into contact with the human organism, in particular with its mucous membranes or sterile cavities, must be subjected to a sterilization processto avoid the risk of infection and contamination.
The sterilization of surgical instruments can be carried out in different ways.The four main sterilizing agents are with saturated steam, ethylene oxide, peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide.
The saturated steam sterilization technique exploits the action of flowing steam, heated up to 134°, for a duration of 5 to 7 minutes.It is the most used method as moist heat is the safest, most economical and least polluting means of all sterilization methods.
Ethylene oxide is another excellent sterilizing agent, but can only be used in medical/hospital settings given its high flammability, as well as toxicity,and only by trained and specialized personnel.
It is a gas that permeates the treated objects for a long time, which for this very reason must then be left in ventilated environments for a long time to facilitate the elimination of this sterilant.Through alkylation, ethylene replaces the particles of potentially infectious microorganisms at an atomic level, causing their death.
In addition to its toxicity, other contraindications for this method are certainly the high costs and long times,so much so that hospital companies often rely on external management of this type of sterilization.
A further chemical agent used in sterilization processes is paracetic acid. In this case the object is immersed in a solution with acid and a neutral pH, in a closed circuit apparatus.Even in this case, however, the substance, which is excellent as a germicide, has a high toxicity which prohibits its use by operators who are not correctly trained.
It must then be considered that not all types of materials lend themselves to a sterilization process with paracetic acid.However, it is particularly suitable for the treatment of minimally invasive diagnostic-therapeutic devices (for example endoscopes) which can be immersed in a liquid solution.
Finally, sterilization of surgical instruments is also possible using hydrogen peroxide, in the form of plasma gas or steam.There are many materials that can be disinfected with this gas, from plastic to metals, even very delicate electronic components such as tools used for microsurgery.
This is a very advanced sterilization method.Hydrogen peroxide is used in a very strong electric field, which allows the electrons to be detached from the peroxide particles, transforming them into free radicals, which in turn have a very high capacity to damage the cell membranes of pathogens,thus proving to be a perfect germicide.
Sterility with this system can last up to 12 months and furthermore does not present risks for operators, given that the gas is made up only of water and oxygen and can be used at a temperature of 40-45° C.
The main instruments for sterilization
The main sterilization devices are 3, autoclaves, germicidal lamps and sterilizers.
In parallel to these, particular chemical and biological indicators are also used which are useful for monitoring the entire sterilization process.
A great responsibility in this sense lies with the operator, who has the task of checking all the medical material before it is used, taking care of the sterilization of the instruments and knowing their methods and functioning perfectly.
We must therefore always operate safely, for the health of the patient but also of the team of professionals who intervene.
The autoclaves
The autoclaves are devices suitable for carrying out steam sterilisation.They consist of a sterilization chamber, surrounded by a cavity, and a suction pump necessary to remove the air from the chamber. There are then one or two opposing watertight doors and the entire appliance is covered with steel paneling.
There are different types and sizes, equipped with increasingly sophisticated technologies.
Before using them, it is a good idea to carry out pre-arranged control cycles, which serve to check their tightness and the penetrability of steam.
A normal steam sterilization cycle is composed of three phases, heating, actual sterilization and drying with baric balance.
The autoclave then heats up with vacuum cycles which have the task of emptying the air inside the chamber. Then the injection of steam begins, which varies in pressure and temperature depending on the material that needs to be sterilized.
This is followed by a computer-set maintenance phase in which the items to be sterilized are inserted.The steam does its job for the necessary time.
The final drying and pressure balancing phase involves a vacuum cycle which eliminates the steam and favors the drying of the load, also removing the condensed steam.
An instrument that is still wet can easily be contaminated by environmental microbes.Finally, a pressure balancing follows which allows the return to the correct atmospheric pressure inside the chamber.
Several accessories and spare parts are also available for steam autoclaves,such as for example perforated containers which can be inserted into the autoclave and do not allow the operator to directly touch the instruments to be sterilized.
Sterilization is a truly particular and dedicated process, which must be constantly monitored according to well-defined parameters.Precisely for this reason there are particular chemical and biological indicators which attest to the correctness of the values during the process.
The chemical indicators can be process indicators, to be applied to the outside of each container to be sterilized, or sterilization indicators variable with the temperature to be inserted inside.Biological indicators on the other hand, in the form of strips, containing spores which are able to highlight the level of sterilization of a material.
Germicidal lamps
Another tool used in sterilization processes is the germicidal lamp.
The elimination of potentially pathogenic microbiological agents is carried out by irradiating the material with ultraviolet rays using a lamp,to be placed in a special cabin.
It is a small-sized appliance, which can vary in power and consumption, and is easily movable.
It turns out to be particularly useful for maintaining sterilization carried out perhaps with an autoclave.In fact, UV rays do not heat the materials which are therefore always ready for use. A sensor automatically turns off the lamp when the door is opened, thus not exposing the operator to UV rays.
Sterilizers
The sterilizing machines are machines that carry out the sterilization process using other methods.There are hot air ones on the market, which operate through thermoventilation of the material, thus guaranteeing dry sterilization.
There are also ball sterilizers, recommended for the sterilization of outpatient material,which guarantee a fast process (a couple of minutes) for small surgical instruments such as probes and mirrors. They are very suitable for dental practices but also for veterinarians or tattoo artists and beauty salons. They operate at a temperature of 230°, which guarantees the destruction of any microorganisms present.
The best sterilizers on __KEEP_0__
__KEEP_0__ has been a leader in the medical products market for more than 20 years and offers a wide range of instruments and accessories to carry out correct disinfection of surgical instruments through sterilization.
We have seen how this process is fundamental to safeguard the health of patients as well as operators, and for this very reason it must only be carried out with high quality machinery, supplied by the best manufacturers in the sector.
