Cleaning Challenges: Can Extended Soil Dry Times Be Reversed?

Area of Science:

• Medical Device Reprocessing
• Infection Control
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Proper cleaning of reusable medical devices is critical for patient safety.
• Manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs) advise against allowing clinical soil to dry on devices.
• Dried soil can alter solubility, increasing cleaning difficulty and potentially requiring additional remediation steps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of various remediation conditions for dried soil on surrogate medical devices.
• To determine if additional cleaning steps can reverse the effects of extended soil drying times.
• To identify optimal methods for cleaning devices when soil has dried beyond IFU recommendations.

Main Methods:

• A solubility test method was employed using surrogate medical devices.
• Eight different remediation conditions were tested, including water, neutral pH detergents, enzymatic cleaners, alkaline detergents, and enzymatic humectant foam spray.
• Soaking times varied, with comparisons made between 15-minute and 60-minute soaks.

Main Results:

• Only the alkaline cleaning agent effectively solubilized extensively dried soil.
• A 15-minute soak with an alkaline cleaning agent was as effective as a 60-minute soak.
• The alkaline cleaning agent successfully reversed the effects of extended soil drying.

Conclusions:

• An alkaline cleaning agent soak is an effective additional step for cleaning reusable medical devices with dried soil.
• This method can reverse the challenges posed by extended soil drying, ensuring effective cleaning.
• Findings support the use of alkaline cleaning agents to manage dried soil when IFUs are not strictly followed.