Is it safe to sterilize medical tools this way???

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm a pre-nursing student, and I work for a gynecologist as a medical receptionist and sometimes I assist the doctor with patients. I'm usually in charge of sterilizing the medical tools. After we're finished with a patient, I immidiately wash/scrub any blood or body fluids off the medical tools and then sterilize them in the autoclave. However, my office manager does something different. She puts all the used speculums in a bucket of hot water and lets it sit for a few hourse, she scrubs them and then place them in the autoclave. Is this safe? She's not a nurse, never attended nursing school,and only handles the accounting and sometimes I don't think she knows what she's doing. There have been times when she "sterilizes" the medical tools, and I've noticed that they have dry blood stuck on them and I struggle to scrub them off (she doesn't wash them well either)

I really think she should just stick to the administrative work, and let me handle all that but I'm nervous to tell her. But I wanna know is she really doing the right thing by putting these speculums and other medical tools in a bucket of hot water for hours? Please tell me theres something wrong. Patient safety has always been my priority.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Adolescent/Child Mental Health.

Allow me to just say

ew.

Maybe you should show her this?

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/disinfection.html

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.
Allow me to just say

ew.

Maybe you should show her this?

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/disinfection.html

Double eew! Were does she leave the bucket of gooey "bits and bobs" to soak?

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Sounds gross to me. Old Blood on instruments? I wouldn't go to that doctor!!!!! What happened to one use plastic speculums? Sounds like the health dept would close that office down

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The instruments should be cleaned with a aseptisoak or detergent to remove all debris from them. You cant sterilize protien matter including blood or hair. The instruments should be cleaned as soon as possible to prevent the debris from drying on because they could ruin the instruments and make it more difficult to clean. If you are going to soak them you should use an enzymatic cleaner or prezyme to help remove the debris. This is much more effective then plain hot water.

http://www.steris.com/explore/view_product_list.cfm?applicationid=108&applicationname=Enzymes

http://www.steris.com/explore/view_product_list.cfm?applicationid=92&applicationname=Detergents

Here are some examples of cleaners that are used

Lisa :)

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That is so disgusting. :no:

I feel sick.:uhoh21:

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