Washer Disinfector (WD) is the best way to clean and disinfect Reusable Medical Devices (RMD). WD FIG 1 can have various designs, some are small or large to suit every type of facility. No matter what type of WD is used, they all have the same function, disinfect RMD in order to make RMD safe to handle prior to sterilisation.
WD typically have a rotating spray system FIG 2. The washer disinfector can wash, rinse, dry and disinfect instruments. However, the WD must be correctly loaded in order to perform the functions it is designed for.
FIG 1
FIG 2
Why the need for wire baskets?
Have a look at figure 2, you can see the arms turning, and the water jets fills the chamber. Complete disinfection of RMD’s requires, each RMD to make contact with water and chemical, reaching the contaminated surface of the instrument and through a combination of mechanical and chemical processes removing unwanted content.
Trays with solid sides e.g. loan trays with multiple layers and solid sides prevents the water jets from reaching every instrument in the tray which in turn will not guarantee complete disinfection putting staff and patients at risk.
Hence why reading standards on the design of WD’s (ISO15883 – 7 parts) is crucial to understanding the need for wire baskets. No standard directs CSSD’s to using wire baskets, it is the design of the WD’s that leads to the natural conclusion that only correctly loaded WD’s will perform the disinfection process. Overloaded or incorrect trays with solid sides or solid lids cannot be properly disinfected.
A Washer-Disinfector is a high-tech tool. The end result depends on how it’s used, and the loading process has a significant impact on the final outcome. So next time you load the machine pause for a moment and notice where the water comes from and how it reaches your instruments. This exercise will allow you to eliminate shadowing and trapping contamination inside instruments and in correct trays.
The same conclusion can be made for sterilisers and the need for wire baskets through the whole process in the CSSD.
If an instrument is not clean, it cannot be sterilised
Wire baskets
Wire baskets with no solid sides or solid lids are the only alternative to a compliant sterilisation facility. Re-enforcing the need to replace all green trays with wire baskets, and decanting loan trays that do not meet these requirements.
Wire Baskets also allow for tracking instruments to the tray level if you have no electronic tracking in the facility.
With wire baskets you do not need to decant every non-compliant tray, allowing for efficiency and no time wasting by decanting and re packing into green trays in the packing room.
Having wire baskets will also eliminate the need for stocking hundreds of wire baskets in the decon room.
