at Mount Sinai West in New York City.
He says staining on instruments that have been cleaned and steril-
ized can be caused by several factors, including water with a high pH
level, the use of improper detergents and enzymatic cleaners in instru-
ment washers, caked-
on blood, soaking
instruments in saline,
processing two differ-
ent types of metals in
ultrasonic machines
and allowing water to
dry on instrument
surfaces.
Mr. DeLuca says the
following ways to pre-
vent instruments from
becoming stained are
effective:
• Make sure deter-
gents are properly
mixed and diluted in
instrument washers.
• Always follow
manufacturers'
instructions for use
(IFUs).
• Audit OR case
carts in decontamina-
tion to ensure visible
debris and gross soil
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