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S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | M AY 2 0 1 4
• Ozone
, the newest low-temperature sterilization option, has been marketed
as the most environmentally friendly, both in its active ingredients and its by-
products. The gaseous method requires only electricity, medical-grade oxygen
and distilled water. An electrical charge separates the oxygen atoms to create
ozone, which neutralizes microbes at the cellular level. Since the only by-prod-
ucts are oxygen and water, ozone sterilization does not require specialized venti-
lation or exhaust systems.
At 4-and-a-half-hours, however, ozone's sterilization cycle isn't as rapid as
those of hydrogen peroxide gas plasma or liquid chemical immersion, which
may limit its usefulness in the eyes of efficiency-driven outpatient surgery facili-
ties. Ozone hasn't yet been widely implemented in central sterile departments
across the U.S., though it has gained some popularity overseas.
When to go low
Advances in technology and materials
have made some of the instruments
that once couldn't withstand the auto-
clave heat- and moisture-resistant. For
example, some rigid scopes and cam-
eras that once required low-tempera-
ture soaks can now be successfully steam sterilized.
Even so, some manufacturers suggest and some sterile processing techs pre-
fer low-temperature methods, as they seem to subject the instruments to less
wear and tear and may extend their usable life spans. A common reprocessing
misstep that's best to be avoided, however, is wrongly assuming that just any
instrument can be effectively sterilized through low-temperature methods.
The questions of whether low temperatures are warranted, and which method
is validated, for a particular instrument, are guided primarily by the device's
specifications. For low-temperature sterilization, evidence-based practices origi-
nate from instrument and sterilizer manufacturers' instructions for use.
R E P R O C E S S I N G
CAN'T STAND THE HEAT Many instru-
ments aren't suitable for the autoclave.
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