1. Thoroughly clean items with soap and water, rinse, and dry. Open and/or unlock all jointed items. Disassemble all items designed for disassembly.
2. Place items in appropriate covering/wrapping, and seal with pressure/temperature sensitive indicator tape. This prevents contamination throughout or after the sterilization process.
3. Position items in a steam sterilizer to enhance air removal, allow free circulation and penetration of steam, and prevent excessive condensation.
4. Follow time temperature settings recommended by the device manufacturer.
5. Do not touch items until adequately cooled.
6. When items are removed, do the following:
•Check the indicator tape to determine optimum exposure to steam.
•Ensure no moisture is present.
•Ensure packing is intact and no seals are broken.
7. Store sterilized items as follows:
•Store items in an enclosed cupboard for items requiring aseptic delivery or in a sealed container for surgically clean items.
•Store items away from direct sunlight and moisture.
•Store items away from dust, insects, and other vermin.
•Store items loosely packed on clean, smooth, washable shelves.
•Rotate the packages by placing the newly processed items behind the items already in storage.
8. Use flash sterilization for emergency sterilization only of clean, unwrapped instruments and porous items.
9. Regularly check sterilization dates or expiry dates, and remove and reprocess out of date items.
10. Check and record sterilizer indicating thermometers daily. Keep records of thermometer charts for up to one year. If the autoclaves have computerized preset thermometers, this requirement is waived.
11. Conduct monthly bacteriological tests per test manufacture frequency instruction, and keep records of results for up to one year. AMA, JCAHO, CDC DORN recommends 3M Attest be used for weekly tests for the bacterial spore Bacillus Stearothermophilus.
12. Perform preventive maintenance of sterilizer on a scheduled basis by qualified personnel using the manufacturer’s service manual for the sterilizer as a reference, and keep a maintenance record for up to one year.