Paxamedical Cleaning Medical Equipment
As COVID-19 spreads across the United States, consumers are rushing to buy hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies to keep their homes and workplaces clean. Med One understands the needs of hospitals and healthcare facilities and is committed to keeping our equipment clean to the highest standards.
When cleaning medical equipment, we strictly adhere to the CDC guidelines for disinfection and sterilisation, and we’d like to explain what that entails. While the CDC’s document contains a wealth of information, we wanted to focus specifically on Healthcare Equipment Disinfection.
The following is the classification scheme for instruments/equipment that will be used in patient care:
1. Important Factors
Surgical instruments, cardiac and urinary catheters, implants, and ultrasound probes used in sterile body cavities are all included in this category.
2. Items of a semi-critical nature
Respiratory therapy, anaesthesia equipment, and some endoscopes are included in this category. Some items in this category may require high-level disinfection on occasion.
3. Non-essential Items
Beds, crutches, blood pressure cuffs, and computers are examples of such items.
The type of equipment determines the method of disinfection/sterilization required before it can be used to treat a patient. There are two levels to consider:
- Disinfection at a High Level
Applied to semi-critical items that will come into contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin. Bleach and hydrogen peroxide are commonly used in high-level disinfectant products.
- Disinfection at a Low Level
Non-critical items that come into contact with skin are given this treatment. Blood pressure cuffs and bed railings are examples of such items. For this level of disinfection, quaternary ammonium compounds are commonly used.
In terms of Paxamedical`s inventory, we have equipment that falls into each of the three classifications as well as both sterilisation categories. Each item is handled and cared for properly.
When equipment is being prepared to be sent to hospitals and clinics, we adhere to the CDC’s strict standard of cleanliness. After being thoroughly inspected and calibrated by our technicians, the equipment will receive its first round of cleaning and then be delivered to the shipping team. Once it is ready to be shipped out, it is once again cleaned and placed into individual bags. Only after completing this rigorous cleaning process does Paxamedical ship out equipment for patient use.
