Regardless of whether the disposable surgical kit is disinfected or not, surgical instruments and linens (such as gauze, surgical gowns and wound towels) must be cleaned. After surgery, instruments and linen products should be cleaned by hand or with an ultrasonic cleaning machine as much as possible. Items that are sterilized by high-pressure steam or other methods (such as ethylene oxide) must be packaged in a special way. Packing is to strengthen the sterilization effect and the storage of sterile items. Before the disposable surgical kits are packed, the instruments should be placed separately in the order used by the surgeon. If you use steam or gas sterilization, you should use a durable and soft package that can be penetrated by steam or gas, is impermeable to microorganisms.
When the package is sterilized with steam or gas, in order to ensure greater penetration of the gas, special guidelines should be followed. The package used for steam sterilization is wrapped by two layers of thick soft cotton cloth or non-knitted (ie paper) material before sterilization. The package (the package used immediately after sterilization needs to be properly cooled) should be covered with waterproof and heat-insulating materials. If it is used within 24 hours after sterilization, this is not necessary. Small items can be wrapped in sealable insulation paper or plastic bags. When gas sterilization is used, it is packaged with a sealable heat-insulating plastic bag, tube or cotton cloth. When using plasma for sterilization, it should be wrapped in a sealed, heat-insulated, extra-strength polyester film bag or polypropylene bag. See the recommended time, temperature and humidity for steam, ethylene oxide and dry heat sterilization.
When the disposable surgical kit is sterilized by steam and gas, the instruments should be placed on a lint-free (a linen product) towel in a perforated metal instrument tray. If a box with a lock is used to pack the instrument, the box should be opened during autoclaving to facilitate the flow of steam or gas, and there should be a gap of 3 ~ 5mm between the instruments. If possible, complex instruments should be disassembled before sterilization, and power equipment should be lubricated before high pressure. If the instrument has a cavity, apply a small amount of water to rinse before steam sterilization. The vaporization of water can force the air to exit the cavity; on the contrary, the water remaining in the tube is in the air.
The sterilizer will reduce the activity of the gas below the critical point of sterilization. The opening end of the container (such as a physiological saline bottle) should be upward or horizontal; for a container with a lid, the lid should be slightly opened. Towels should be used to separate multiple containers. There should be enough surgical gauze in each package. Before packaging, the sterilization indicator should be placed in the middle of each package. The solution should be separated from the instrument, slowly vent the air, and perform steam sterilization
