Keywords and topics:
enzyme detergents surgical instrument cleaning,
enzyme detergent optimal surgical instrument cleaning temperature,
enzyme detergent surgical instrument cleaning dilution rates, and enzyme detergent surgical instrument cleaning products.
Enzyme detergent surgical instrument cleaning functions defined.
What specific functions do surgical instrument cleaning enzymes perform?
What enzymes are needed for removing bioburden from surgical instruments?
What is optimal cleaning temperature for surgical instrument cleaning enzymes?
How long do surgical instrument cleaning enzymes last?
What are surgical instrument cleaning enzymes?
Is there a health risk to employees using surgical instrument cleaning enzymes?
How can the health risk be avoided when using enzyme surgical instrument cleaners?
The inadequate cleaning of bioburden, including blood, from surgical instruments may result in retained organisms. Corrosion, rusting, and pitting of surgical instruments will occur when blood, minerals, and debris are allowed to dry in or onto surgical instruments. Cannulated or lumened surgical instruments may become obstructed from organic material. Irrigating surgical instruments with sterile water containing a 4 enzyme neutral ph detergent maintains hydration of bioburden on surgical instruments, facilitates the cleaning of surgical instruments, and prevents tissue damage.
Surgical instrument cleaning enzyme detergents are proteins produced by all living organisms that act as catalysts to speed up chemical reactions that would otherwise occur at a much slower rate or not at all. Catalysts are materials that help reactions move from a beginning to an end. Catalysts are not used up in the reaction so they are available to help multiple reactions. Enzymes fit their target substrates like a lock fits a key.The active site of the enzyme is open only to specific target substances (i.e., substrates) with a matching chemical and 3-dimensional shape. If the substrate doesn't fit, it can't enter and no reaction occurs. This makes the action of surgical instrument cleaning enzymes highly specific for their substrates. For this reason specific enzymes are needed for cleaning surgical instruments (removing the bioburden).
Protease Surgical Instrument Cleaning Enzymes to breakdown proteins including blood,
Amylase Surgical Instrument Cleaning Enzymes to breakdown starch and catalyze the hydrolysis of starch,
Lipase Surgical Instrument Cleaning Enzymes to breakdown fats and high level lipids, and
Carbohydrase Surgical Instrument Cleaning Enzymes to breakdown high level starches.
Enzyme Detergents that do not offer these 4 enzymes cannot remove all forms of proteinaceous bioburden and will be as effective for cleaning surgical instruments.
Enzyme Surgical instrument cleaning detergents can clean for long time periods and can be reused.
Like other types of catalysts, an enzyme can complete its chemical reaction without being used up or destroyed, leaving the enzyme protein available for yet another reaction. This means that one enzyme protein molecule can act on many substrate molecules. Eventually, all the substrate is gone and the enzyme stops working. The level of bioburden contained within the enzyme solution being used for cleaning surgical instruments can become a burden for effective cleaning.
The initial decontamination of surgical instruments should begin immediately after the completion of any surgical procedure. The cleaning surgical instruments should be performed as soon as possible after use. The application of a neutral pH four enzyme (enzymatic) detergent will prove to be effective in speeding the cleaning of surgical instruments and will lower the overall handling costs for reprocessing surgical instruments. Used Surgical instruments are always considered to be contaminated by unidentified microorganisms and the presence of pathogens is unknown. The critical cleaning of surgical instruments is necessary for the protection of the patients and healthcare professionals and to prevent the transmission of pathogens. Manual hand washing surgical instruments, ultrasonic surgical instrument cleaners, automated instrument washers, and washer disinfectors have all proven to be effective if they perform the recognized Proper Sequence of Surgical Instrument Cleaning Treatments which include: cold water pre-wash with a 4 enzyme cleaner, elevated temperature wash with a neutral pH detergent, final purified water rinses, and hot air drying with instrument lubrication. Saline causes deterioration of surgical instruments and should never be used when cleaning surgical instruments.
Surgical instrument cleaning enzyme detergents will eventually break down on their own. Why is this important for an enzyme detergent? The enzymes used in surgical instrument cleaning enzyme detergents act on materials that make up a variety of stains and soils so that these materials can be washed away more easily. These enzymes are named after the materials they can act upon, for example, proteases break down protein based stains, lipolases break down lipid (fat) based stains and amylases break down starches and other carbohydrate based stains (amyl is Greek for starch). Since one enzyme molecule can act on many substrate (i.e., soil) molecules, a small amount of enzyme added to a laundry detergent can provide a big cleaning benefit to the consumer. When surgical instrument are not soaked to maintain hydration prior to cleaning, it increases the probability that particles of tissue, bone, and blood will adhered to surgical instruments and resist the cleaning process. This will cause corrosion to surgical instruments and will degrade the “passive Layer” of protection of the surgical stainless steel. A 4 enzyme (enzymatic) detergent surgical instrument cleaner soak will facilitate the decontamination and cleaning of these surgical instruments and hard-to-clean surgical instruments. Using an Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument Cleaner can be useful in cleaning "hard-to-clean surgical instruments", i.e. instruments with serrations but when used with dissimilar metals an ion transfer will result in the etching and pitting of surgical instruments. Chrome-plated surgical instruments may be damaged by the mechanical vibrations of ultrasonic cleaning and cause flaking. The ultrasonic cleaning process removes lubricants from surgical instruments and must replaced. Oily lubricants should not be used as they can inhibit steam penetration during sterilization.
Are Surgical instrument cleaning enzyme detergents safe? Enzymes are proteins, therefore, they are completely biodegradable. They are non-toxic to plants and animals in the environment. They are harmless if accidentally ingested by a child. However, like many other proteins, enzymes can cause respiratory allergy in some people if they are breathed in at very high concentrations, frequently, and for long periods of time. This doesn't pose a safety issue for consumers who use laundry detergents. However, this can represent a health issue for people that work in enzyme making facilities and in detergent production facilities, especially if enzymes are not handled properly.
How are respiratory allergies affected by enzyme surgical instrument cleaning detergents ?
Respiratory allergy is a response our bodies can have when we are exposed to proteins such as house dust mites, cat and dog dander, pollens, molds. Not everyone will develop respiratory allergy to the variety of proteins we are exposed to on a daily basis. As mentioned above, surgical instrument cleaning enzymes are proteins. Frequent inhalation of surgical instrument cleaning enzymes at high concentrations over a long period of time can lead to respiratory allergy among some people. This can occur among people that have to work with surgical instrument cleaning enzymes and when the enzymes are not handled properly.
Surgical instrument cleaning enzyme detergents in the workplace.
When surgical instrument cleaning enzymes were first introduced into detergent products in the 1960s, they were dusty powders. The detergent products were very dusty and it was easy for the surgical instrument cleaning enzymes to become airborne. At that time there were very few controls to limit the amount of detergent powder that could become airborne during the making and packing of detergents. As a result, many employees were exposed to very high levels of airborne enzyme and some of them developed respiratory allergies.
Steps to avoid the health risk of using Surgical instrument cleaning enzyme detergents to employees by reducing the amount of airborne surgical instrument cleaning enzymes in the workplace.
- Minimize creating surgical instrument cleaning enzyme aerosols,
- Use surgical instrument cleaning enzymes in a liquid or foam state to avoid creating aerosols,
- When surgical instrument cleaning enzymes are used with ultrasonic cleaning always keep the tank lid closed,
- Perform the receiving and handling of surgical instrument cleaning enzyme products closed containers,
- Always have the surgical instrument cleaning enzyme product MSDS available at the point of use,
- Provide ventilation to avoid excessive exposure to potential surgical instrument cleaning enzyme aerosols,
- use surgical instrument cleaning enzymes in a foam state when soaking instruments prior to cleaning,
- always wear the recommended protective apparel when using surgical instrument cleaning enzymes.
Enzyme surgical instrument cleaning detergents are recommended for challenging and rapid cleaning tasks due to their ability to break soil down to a form that can be removed from surfaces that are difficult to clean, and most importantly, deliver the surfactant detergents needed to clean that bioburden from the surface. Surgical instrument cleaning enzyme detergents are recommended for cleaning surgical instruments that are: heavily contaminated with encrustation, the emulsification of lipid bioburden and surgical compounds, i.e. bone glues.
References:
The following are selected enzyme detergent surgical instrument cleaning references:
Flindt, M. L. H. 1969. Pulmonary disease due to inhalation of derivatives of Bacillus subtilis containing proteolytic enzyme. Lancet, 1:1177-81.
Pepys J., J. L., Longbottom, F. E. Hargreave and J. Faux. 1969. Allergic reactions of the lungs to enzymes from Bacillus subtilis. Lancet, 1:1181-4.
Newhouse M. L., B. Tagg, S. J. Pocock, A. C. McEwan. 1970. An epidemiological study of workers producing enzyme washing powders. Lancet, 1:689-693.
Juniper, C. P., M. J. How, B. F. J. Goodwin and A. K. Kinshott. 1977. Bacillus subtilis enzymes: a 7-year clinical, epidemiological and immunological study of an industrial allergen. J. Soc. Occup. Med., 27:3-12.
Flood D. F. S., R. E. Blofeld, C. F. Bruce, J. I. Hewitt, C. P. Juniper and D. M. Roberts. 1985. Lung function, atopy, specific hypersensitivity, and smoking of workers in the enzyme detergent industry over 11 years. Br J Ind Med.,42:43-50.
Schweigert, MK, MacKenzie, DP and Sarlo, K. 2000. Occupational asthma and allergy associated with the use of enzymes in the detergent industry - a review of the epidemiology, toxicology and methods of prevention. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 30: 1511-1518.
Sarlo, K and Kirchner, DB. 2002. Occupational asthma and allergy in the detergent industry: new developments. Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2:97-101.
Sarlo, K. 2003. Control of occupational asthma and allergy in the detergent industry. Annals Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 90(suppl):32-34.
In addition, a complete literature review on enzymes was recently completed by the European Union:
Aberer, W., M. Hahn, M. Klade, U. Seebacher, A. Spök, K. Wallner and H. Witzani. 2002. Final report:
Collection of information on enzymes, European Commission Contract No. B4-3040/2000/27845/MAR/E2
The UPS1 Ultrasonic Surgical Instrument Cleaner Solution
yourCEBA
your Clinical and Economic Benefit Advantage.
Enzyme Detergent Surgical Instrument Cleaners
Related Topics:
The primary goal of Cleaning Surgical Instruments,
The Secondary Goal Of Cleaning Surgical Instruments,
Proper Cleaning with Washer Disinfector Detergents,
Cleaning Surgical Instruments with Conditioners for cleaning Surgical Instruments cleaner,
Cleaning surgical instruments cost effectively and fast,
UPS1 for Cleaning Surgical Instruments cleaner.
Designed for cleaning Surgical Instruments and cleaning Endoscopes effectively.
It's the Surgical Instrument Cleaner and Endoscope Cleaner that cuts cleaning costs.
Nothing cleans as fast as the UPS1 Enzyme Detergent Surgical Instrument Cleaners. Nothing lowers costs like the UPS1 Enzyme Detergent Surgical Instrument Cleaners, guaranteed.
