Medical Sterilization – A Healthcare Imperative

Disinfection of medical devices plays a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of numerous medical ailments. The instruments that are being used for medical sterilization are specifically made for the purpose of following the set stringent safety standards in order to ensure the well being of all patients. If disinfection of medical devices is not carried out in an appropriate manner, it will have a great adverse effect on the proper functioning of the medical facility which, in turn, will have an effect on the health of numerous people all around the world. Therefore, without proper medical sterilization of instruments, hospitals and other medical organizations will not be able to function as efficient healthcare providers.

Medical equipment can be loosely categorized into five different types: equipment for diagnosis, equipment for life support, therapeutic equipment, laboratory equipment and monitors. Diagnostic equipment is used for determining a disease or a disorder. These types of equipment include CT scanners, X-ray machines, MRI, PET, etc.

Therapeutic equipment is used for helping patients who have been through surgical processes. Life support equipment is necessary for maintaining the bodily functions of patients. Similarly, monitoring equipment is utilized in order to measure the medical state of patients like their vital signs and blood pressure, etc. Blood samples and urine samples are analyzed with the help of laboratory equipment.

Whichever medical device is being used by the medical practitioner, it is necessary to properly maintain it in order to ensure maximum safety against infectious diseases. Proper maintenance also makes sure that the equipment can be used for a longer duration of time.

There are certain devices that do not need medical sterilization. This is so because these instruments are disposable and are designed for one-time usage. These instruments are not very expensive. However, where expensive medical instruments are concerned, it may not be monetarily feasible to use them just once. Medical sterilization of these instruments enables medical practitioners to use these devices several times in a safe and efficient manner.

Medical sterilization of instruments can be done with relative ease. The best process that involves sealing the instrument inside an autoclave bag or rigid container and putting it inside an steam sterilizer which subjects it to high-pressured steam. Highly resistant bacterial spores like Geobacillus stearothermophilus are used for this purpose. These thermophilic organisms are very difficult to kill. At Gibraltar we develop and validate what are referred to as Overkill cycles for orthopedic devices and other equipment used by biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies. These validations are designed to meet both the regulatory requirements of the United States and Europe. We achieve a sterilization assurance level and probability of a non-sterile unit of 1 in one million [i.e., 10-6]

Medical sterilization of sophisticated instruments is not so easily done. The process requires qualified personnel who have been properly trained for this purpose. These professionals are most suitable for handling the sterilization process of equipment that cannot be sterilized by a layman. At Gibraltar we employ calibrated, modern equipment for this purpose such as Air over pressure steam sterilizer, Pulsed Vacuum and Gravity displacement sterilizers. Glass vials and other metallic instruments may be depyrogenated and dry heat sterilized.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }