Medical equipment sterilization in hospitals is more important than ever because of the coronavirus
25-03-2020
Hospitals have always played a key role in the medical industry: with the right equipment, these medical facilities can deal with a huge amount of medical waste each day. However, that role will certainly be put to the test in the following months, as the coronavirus outbreak will bring more and more infected patients that hospital staff will need to treat. More patients to treat also means more medical equipment in use, and more medical waste produced, making the issue of safe sterilization in hospitals even more important than it already is.
This is also why companies like Celitron decided to step up and put more emphasis on how they can help hospitals deal with the current crisis. In the following article, we will discuss in details why medical staff needs to pay even more intention to avoid the dangers related to infectious tools and medical waste disposal, as well as some insight into the most effective methods you can apply on-site. The sooner you can insure all used medical equipment in your hospital has gone through safe sterilization, the sooner you can get back to treating other patients with the tools you need.
This is why hospitals need to pay even more attention to the sterilization of medical equipments
Regardless of the coronavirus outbreak, sterilization has always been at the forefront of the duties of medical facilities. This is how they can ensure the safety of both patients and staff alike during their day-to-day activities. However, now that there is a virus out there, the main risks of improper sterilization – infection through surgical instruments or other medical devices – is even greater. If you do not have proper on-site equipment at your hospital for sterilization, it could easily cause the coronavirus to spread within your medical facility, or even to the outside world, since doctors could just as well become carriers of the virus. Of course, with proper sterilization, all of this can be avoided.
All in all, the dangers are clear. But what about the possible methods and their benefits? Let us continue with how Celitron’s medical solutions can help you!
What are the best medical equipment sterilizers for hospitals?
At Celitron, we have already sold on-site sterilization solutions in over 40 countries all over the world, so we have more than enough experience to help you get the best available options on the market right now. Depending on the needs of your hospital and the kind of medical equipment you need to sterilize, there are two main methods you can choose from: autoclaving and shredding.
1. Using autoclaves for the sterilization of medical equipments in hospitals
Autoclaving is essentially steam sterilization. As the name implies, it uses steam at very high pressures and temperatures to kill ANY AND ALL germs and bacteria present on medical tools and equipment. Due to the coronavirus being able to infect people even through surfaces where infected people have either sneezed or coughed, you can imagine how important it is to efficiently sterilize all medical equipment that has been in the present of the patients and even the medical staff.
Thankfully, steam sterilization is one the most modern methods available in our world right now. Its success around the world can be traced back to the simple fact, that it doesn’t matter what kind of bacteria you treat, since even heat-resistant germs are no match for its power. So there is absolutely no way the coronavirus can still be present on your medical equipment if you use this method. This “grand power” comes from the specifics of the method: by raising the pressure inside the chamber of the autoclave machine, it also raises the boiling point of water from 100 degrees to temperatures ranging from 121 to 134 degrees Celsius.
So what kind of autoclave should you choose for your hospital? Medical equipment sterilization can be achieved with both medium and large autoclaves. Since hospitals are among the largest medical facilities, we usually recommend going with the Azteca A Series of large steam sterilizers: if you’re looking for the highest capacity on-site solution, Celitron’s large autoclaves can handle loads ranging from 110 to even 880 liters! It all depends on the model you choose. As hospitals around the world get prepared for the possible peak of the coronavirus outbreak, there is certainly a chance you will need a medical equipment sterilizer than can handle large volumes at a time in order to improve the efficiency of the medical staff’s work.
2. Using a medical waste shredder in hospitals
After reading about the huge benefits of steam sterilization, you may very well wonder what more you could need in order to prepare your medical facility for the coronavirus. Well, the increase of infected patients not only means you will need to sterilize more medical equipment: you will most probably generate a whole lot more medical waste as well. Its disposal shouldn’t be taken lightly either: as you’ll be producing infectious and hazardous biomedical waste, an on-site solution that can minimize the risks that comes with disposing of it can be more than handy.
What’s more, with Celitron’s ISS (Integrated Sterilizer and Shredder),this doesn’t mean you won’t get the benefits of steam sterilization, since our machine is basically an autoclave and a medical waste shredder rolled into one. Shredding also further enhances the effectiveness of the already mighty power of steam sterilization, since shredding allows the steam to reach and sterilize on even the smallest part of the medical waste. It’s a completely automated machine that is both eco- and user-friendly. The end-product you get is solid, harmless waste that has been greatly reduced in size, and can be disposed of like any other kind of regular waste!
And last but not least, if you want even more details, feel free to compare all our available solutions for medical equipment sterilization in hospitals on Celitron’s website!