Surgical Instruments Cleaning and Care

Vocabulary flashcards covering surgical instrument finishes, causes of corrosion, cleaning solutions, ultrasonic cleaning parameters, and cold sterilization based on the lecture notes.

Satin Finish

A finish on stainless steel surgical instruments that reduces glare from lights, but is less resistant to spotting and discoloration.

Eraser Test

A procedure where a pencil eraser is rubbed over brown or orange discoloration to distinguish a stain (smooth metal remains) from corrosion or rust (a pit mark appears).

Surgical Residue

Blood, pus, and other secretions containing chloride ions that cause pitting and orange/brown corrosion if allowed to dry or bake in an autoclave.

Tap Water

Water containing high mineral counts that leaves fine deposits and causes permanent spotting and corrosion if left sitting on surgical instruments.

Distilled Water

Purified water required for all rinsing steps following the manual washing of surgical instruments to prevent mineral deposits.

Surfactant

A component of cleaning solutions (usually a detergent) that reduces the surface tension of water.

Enzymatic Cleaners

Solutions containing surfactants and enzymes that break down proteins, such as blood and tissue, without mechanical action prior to extensive cleaning.

Ultrasonic Cleaner

A device using ultrasonic sound waves to clean instruments $16\times$ more efficiently than hand cleaning, operating for $5\text{--}10$ minutes on unratcheted, open instruments.

Metri-Clean2

An instrument pre-soak and cleaner solution used for manual scrubbing and in ultrasonic cleaning units.

Metri-Lube

An instrument lubricant and anti-corrosive solution in which surgical instruments are immersed for $30$ seconds after cleaning before air drying.

Cold Sterilization

The soaking of instruments in a disinfectant solution, acceptable only for non-sterile procedures where disinfection occurs within $10$ minutes.

Glutaraldehyde

A strong disinfectant soaking solution that kills all microbes, but is toxic, causing severe tissue irritation and serving as a primary source of occupational asthma.