Central sterile services department: screening of automated cleaning in liposuction cannulae

To evaluate the effectiveness of automated cleaning of 4 mm liposuction cannulas using ultrasonic washer machine, screening for dirt using a cannulate microscope device and the screening of viable strains of Staphylococcus aureus, with microbiological analysis.

Experimental study with 14 units of 4 mm liposuction cannulas performed at the Central Sterile Services Department and at the Microbiology Laboratory of a Hospital Complex, located in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, from October 2018 to April 2019.

Of the 14 liposuction cannulas that constituted the sample, 42.9% remained dirty despite automated cleaning, and all of them showed recovery of viable microrganisms in the microbiological laboratory.

The study showed that it is not possible to ensure the cleaning efficacy of automated cleaning of 4 mm liposuction cannulas, especially due to the conformation of the material with internal spaces with accumulation of dirt.