Cleaning and disinfecting medical equipment

Medical safety is the top priority for any health care facility in the world. Safety for both the patient and the medical staff can be assured only by implementing safety measures satisfactory in every action taken. Some safety measures include proper equipment use, thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting medical equipment, waste disposal and even patient treatment. Autoclaves are used to properly sterilize medical equipment.

It is necessary to take special care when handling medical equipment since they have a critical role in both the diagnosis and treatment of patients. If at any case medical equipment is to be absent this could cripple the health sector. For reusable medical equipment should be maintained for long lasting usage.

There are several ways of cleaning and disinfecting medical equipment used at home. Here is one simple procedure that can be used.

• Take cotton wool and dip it in alcohol c to disinfect the equipment after it has been used.
• Then for 15 minutes soak the equipment in a disinfectant solution ultrasound bath.The reason for the ultrasound bath is that the strong ultrasonic waves remove every contaminant even the smallest.
• Use clean water to rinse the equipment then dry with a disposable paper towel.
• Subject the equipment to high-pressure steam using an autoclave machine.
• After steaming store the equipment in a clean sterilized place.

For large medical equipment used in both hospitals and homes, every equipment has different cleaning procedure from each other and mostly require a technician to clean and disinfect.

Therefore cleaning and disinfecting medical equipment are very important for successful treatment of patients. Cleaning and maintaining them means that they will perform excellently and they will not spread or become the source of diseases. Above all medical equipment should be bought and suppliers from trusted reliable dealers to avoid faulty or defective equipment since patient s and doctors depend on the functionality of this equipments.