Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 19, 2026
Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection
How clean is clean enough? An observational pilot study to assess central sterilization processing efficacy with
Lauren N Fitts1, Jeanne Yegge1, Ashleigh Goris1
1Department of Infection Prevention, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, St Louis, MO.
Background:
There is strong evidence showing the need for quantitative assessment of the efficacy of cleaning medical devices. Studies comparing visual and microscopic analysis have demonstrated that visual inspection alone is insufficient to determine cleanliness. OUR OBJECTIVE WAS TO: collect baseline adenosine triphosphate testing data for surgical instruments to inform future quality improvement programs, and to develop a process to comply with standards recommended by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.
Methods:
The central sterilization processing department (CSPD) identified difficult to clean tools in hip, spinal fusion, and colon procedures. Instruments used during the procedures were swabbed at arrival to the CSPD, after manual washing, and after a standard 24-minute machine wash cycle. Each instrument was swabbed in a uniform manner on surface areas including hinged joints and teeth, consistent with manufacturer recommendations. Instruments were tagged to ensure accuracy of tracking.
Results:
The mean relative light unit (RLU) readout of all instruments on entry to the CSPD, postmanual wash, and postmachine wash was 240,416, 3,352, and 47, respectively. A total of 97.7% of all instruments had a passable final RLU readout. One Rongeur had a failed final RLU readout of 171.
Conclusions:
This study suggests that the current cleaning process is adequate for the instruments tested. Ongoing quality assessment would be beneficial to validate other instruments.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...
03:10Pilot In Vitro Study to Assess Cleaning Ability and Effects of Different Decontamination Methods on Implant Surfaces
07:30Cleaning Glassware
Organic synthesis is about transforming a readily available reagent into a more valuable product. Having clean glassware is crucial for the efficiency of this process. Dirty glassware can potentially affect the reaction and make isolation of the final product more challenging. Thus, a synthetic chemist must keep the glassware spotless. The methods described here will detail different glass cleaning...
04:57Proper Care and Cleaning of the Microscope
10:44Clean Sampling and Analysis of River and Estuarine Waters for Trace Metal Studies
07:00Failure of Cleaning Verification in Pharmaceutical Industry Due to Uncleanliness of Stainless Steel Surface