O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J U LY 2 0 1 4
R
ule No. 1 when describing the various
steam sterilization cycles used to
process items not intended to be
stored for later use: "Flash steriliza-
tion" is out. "Immediate-use steam ster-
ilization" is in. The term "flash," which arose out
of the unwrapped device's abbreviated time of
exposure, has given way to "immediate use,"
which is the shortest possible time between
a sterilized item's removal from the steriliz-
er and its aseptic transfer to the sterile
field. Semantics aside, there's still much
confusion about the proper way to sterilize
an item during the procedure for which it
is to be used. We hope this 10-question
quiz clears things up for you and your staff.
1. Can we still call it
"flash sterilization?"
No. "Flash sterilization" has been
used to describe steam sterilization
cycles where unwrapped medical instru-
ments were subjected to an abbreviated steam
exposure time and then used promptly after cycle
S T E R I L I Z A T I O N
Do's and don'ts for when you need that item right away.
Byron L. Burlingame, MS, RN, BSN, CNOR | Denver, Colo.
Can You Pass Our Immediate-
Use Steam Sterilization Quiz
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