Are you running a medical center or areas that require high hygienic standards? If so, you will need ways to kill germs or avoid them from spreading. For instance, hospitals must clean, disinfect and sterilize equipment before using them for subsequent patients.
The level of sterilization depends on how the object or equipment is used. Some will require low-level sterilization, others medium, while those used in sensitive areas require high sterilization methods. For instance, surgical instruments that come into contact with body tissues are highly sterilized compared to stethoscopes that only touch the skin.
This article will discuss some of the top solutions hospitals and other areas use to sterilize their equipment and keep them germ-free. Check on the list below.
Steam Sterilization
Also known as autoclave sterilization, this method involves using highly pressurized steam to kill disease-causing organisms. Primarily, this method is used in hospitals since steam ranks as the best method to clean medical devices. It is the cheapest and the safest way to sterilize items. As highlighted by the team at Leadsonics, there are different types of autoclave machines you can buy, depending on your needs and budget. Getting this machine enables you to sterilize most of your devices since the intense pressure and heat destroy all microorganisms.
How does this method work? First, a decontaminant cleans the equipment to be sterilized then exposed to the steam on all surfaces to ensure no germ is left behind. It is essential to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using the autoclave.
Chemical Sterilization
In this method of sterilization, medical solutions are used to kill the germs in the devices. Some of the standard medical solutions used in sterilization include bleach, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, and ethylene oxide. Since these solutions are powerful, they can eliminate all pathogens that can cause diseases to humans and animals.
The method is also simple to use. You only need to dip the equipment in the concentrated solution, leave it for some time until you are sure the pathogens are dead. Once done, you take out the item, rinse it off with clean water and leave it to dry. However, when doing so, you have to beware of the surfaces you are keeping the sterilized items. You cannot use this method to sterilize fiber optics, biological products, or heat-sensitive materials.
Plasma Gas Sterilizers
With plasma gas sterilization, a low-temperature hydrogen peroxide-based gas is used in a chamber to kill microorganisms. Mostly, this method is used to sterilize dental and medical equipment against viruses, bacteria, fungi, and spores. Once the gas is added to the chamber, it produces a low-temperature plasma, ensuring the item is sterilized completely.
The final residue of this sterilization is water and oxygen, making this method one of the safest to use in hospitals and at home. It also helps to conserve the environment. While it’s a practical and excellent way for moisture-sensitive items, plasma gas sterilization is one of the most expensive sterilization methods.
Dry Heat Sterilization
Heat itself is a form of sterilization, best used on surfaces that you cannot reach with vapors. With this method, you apply a strong but dry heat on the surface item that needs to be sterilized for some time. This situation means that the heat must be constant for an extended period to be effective.
Too much heat over a long time makes this method unsuitable for most materials used to make medical devices. However, it can be reliable for other items that you cannot sterilize using the aforementioned methods. To ensure that a microbial organism is killed ultimately, the heat applied must be over 340 °F.
Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Sterilizers
This sterilization method also uses hydrogen peroxide like plasma sterilization. However, with this method, you only use hydrogen peroxide and not plasma gas to carry out the sterilization procedure. With this method, hydrogen peroxide removes humidity inside the device, and a generator injects it with pressure to have the required force to kill the germs.
The hydrogen peroxide vapors effectively remove the germs present on the device, leaving your equipment sterilized. After this, the generator gets reversed, which breaks down the vapor into environmentally friendly elements. Since this method has a low cycle time, you can use it to sterilize as many devices as possible within a short period.
The above are the top solutions you can use to sterilize your equipment and devices. All the above methods are currently in use in most hospitals and have played a more prominent role in containing diseases, including the coronavirus. However, it is essential to get the required equipment and solutions from reliable sellers and use the approved procedures when carrying out the sterilization process.