Sterilization Instructions for Power Equipment
Surgical equipment powered by electric cords, batteries, or compressed gas can be confusing when sterilization is attempted. They often require extended or shortened sterilization cycle times and are moisture or temperature sensitive. Improperly handling or sterilizing power equipment can lead to thousands of dollars in damage to the equipment or even injury to the patient. To safely sterilize the equipment for surgical procedures requires attention to detail and strict adherence to manufacturer's instructions.
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Things You'll Need
- Instruction manuals
- Power equipment lube
- Sterilization packaging
- Sterilization indicator
Instructions
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Consult user manuals for the sterilizer and the power equipment. Power equipment often has special cycle times or temperatures that must be followed to avoid damage.
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Inspect the power equipment for cleanliness and proper function. Assemble and run the item for a few seconds to identify some malfunctions.
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Apply recommended lubrication to machinery. Only apply lubrication if instructed to do so in the manual. Many modern pieces of power equipment are fully sealed and require no lubrication.
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Disassemble power equipment. Remove batteries or other attachments and loosely coil hoses.
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Enclose the power equipment with a sterilization indicator in packaging appropriate for your chosen sterilization method.
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Label the outside of the package with the name of the equipment, the date, your initials, and other information required by your facility.
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Place packaged power equipment in the sterilizer and set the cycle to run at the manufacturer's recommended time and temperature.
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Tips & Warnings
If you work in a veterinary facility, you may be asked to sterilize power equipment from a hardware store. Try using a sterile shroud instead of subjecting the equipment to sterilization. Hardware store power equipment is often not compatible with common sterilization methods.
Coil air hoses in no smaller than a 9-inch diameter loop to avoid damage.
Reusable linen wrap, rigid sterilization containers, disposable sterilization fabric, or paper/plastic pouches are commonly used for steam sterilization.
Never place peel pouches in sterilization cases to hold small power equipment accessories, like blades or burs. To do so may interfere with sterilant access.
References
Resources
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