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Influence of drying time on the removal of blood from medical devices
B R Wulff1, S Lohse1, M Tschoerner1
1Chemische Fabrik Dr. Weigert GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg, Germany.
Background:
When processing surgical instruments after use, the safe, residue-free removal of blood and blood-containing soiling is one of the most important tasks. There are recommendations from various working groups regarding the ideal timeframe for cleaning used instruments in order to ensure safe disinfection and sterilization and avoid adverse effects. These are generally based primarily on practical experience and there is little systematic work on this topic.
Aim:
In the present study, cleaning experiments with test specimens previously contaminated with sheep's blood were performed, and in this way the effects of the drying time of whole blood on the results of the subsequent cleaning were examined.
Methods:
Reflecting practice, both visual and spectroscopic methods were used to quantify residual protein. The experimental results were evaluated both as a function of the drying time and the residual moisture of the blood.
Findings:
Drying blood was particularly difficult to remove within the first 1-2 h. In this phase, in which the blood is coagulated but not yet completely dried, considerably more protein residues remained on the test specimens after cleaning than after longer standing times.
Conclusion:
There is a timeframe for the removal of blood residues in which optimum cleaning results can be expected. As a consequence, there are also standing times that are disadvantageous for reprocessing. Based on the experimental data, it was deduced that this optimum time is either directly after contamination or in the range of >3 h and <24 h after soiling.
Insights
Cleaning surgical instruments promptly after use is crucial. Blood residues are hardest to remove between 1-2 hours post-contamination, with optimal cleaning occurring immediately after soiling or between 3-24 hours.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Effective reprocessing of surgical instruments is vital for patient safety.
- Blood residue removal is a critical step in instrument decontamination.
- Current recommendations for instrument cleaning timeframes lack systematic validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of blood drying time on the efficacy of surgical instrument cleaning.
- To determine optimal and disadvantageous timeframes for cleaning blood-soiled instruments.
Main Methods:
- Experiments using test specimens contaminated with sheep's blood.
- Quantification of residual protein using visual and spectroscopic methods.
- Analysis of cleaning results based on blood drying time and residual moisture.
Main Results:
- Blood contamination is significantly more difficult to remove within the first 1-2 hours post-soiling.
- Coagulated but not fully dried blood leaves more protein residues after cleaning.
- Longer standing times, beyond 2 hours, generally improve cleaning outcomes.
Conclusions:
- A specific timeframe exists for optimal blood residue removal from surgical instruments.
- Standing times between 3 and 24 hours, or immediate cleaning, yield the best results.
- Delayed cleaning beyond 2 hours is recommended to avoid suboptimal reprocessing outcomes.
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