Table 4 Percentages of reprocessing cycles following standard cleaning (and disinfection) practices
Standard practices | Estimate | Standard Error | 95% Confidence Interval | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lower | Upper | |||
Used medical devices are soaked in or sprayed with water before cleaning, to prevent drying | 81.7% a | 7.9% | 57.9% | 93.5% |
Cleaning is done in a separate area from where the instrument will be used (i.e., designated dirty area) | 38.1% | 11.5% | 17.3% | 64.5% |
Medical devices are pre-disinfected before cleaning (e.g. with hypochlorite solution) | 81.7% | 7.9% | 57.9% | 93.5% |
Medical devices are opened/dismantled for cleaning purpose | 76.4% | 10.7% | 46.4% | 92.4% |
Medical devices are submerged in water while washing them manually using a brush | 1.0% | 1.0% | 0.1% | 7.6% |
For instruments with channels, all channels are cleaned using cleaning brushes of appropriate size | 0.0% | – | – | – |
Cleaning brushes are single use (disposable) items | 0.0% | – | – | – |
After completion of cleaning, reusable brushes are cleaned and either high level disinfected or sterilized | 0.0% | – | – | – |
Instruments are rinsed thoroughly with water after cleaning | 86.6% | 9.0% | 53.3% | 97.3% |
Medical devices are dried with low-linting (disposable or reusable) towels immediately after rinsing | 19.9% | 8.1% | 7.4% | 43.4% |
Enzymatic cleaner, detergent, and/or disinfectant are used according to manufacturer’s instructions | 68.3% | 12.4% | 37.7% | 88.5% |