One of the main methods of bio-medical waste removal involves the use of a machine called autoclave. This particular machine uses high pressurized steam on medical waste to destroy any infectious bacteria, viruses or other microorganisms on it. As such, autoclaves are today widely used for medical waste management Deerfield Beach.
Sterile water, that holds no antimicrobial or bacteriostatic agents are used in microbiology, pharmaceuticals, molecular biology and have many other uses throughout health care. These three branches and their labs need to be able to produce the right results and if the water they are using (an important factor) is contaminated in any way, they will not be able to. Namely, by using contaminated water, the end results of their experiments would simply be wrong.
Sterilized water is necessary in the following protocols and applications:
- Medical drug production
- Preparation of some agents
- Preparation of culture media
- Intra-vascular injection
- Pharmacological mechanism
Of course, the use of sterilized water is not limited to these.
What About Other Methods?
Albeit there are other ways to obtain sterilized water, autoclaving has proven to be the most efficient, economical and safest way to do so.
- Heat sterilization works only with very small quantities (1-2 liters) and is not effective when a large volume of sterilized water is needed
- UV light is almost harmless to the spores
- Ultrasound and radiation forms are not yet readily available
- Filtration doesn’t remove all the contamination from the water
The way an autoclave is used in medical waste management Deerfield Beach is that medical waste is placed into them and subjected to high pressure steam for about 20-30 minutes. The steam temperature is usually around 248 Fahrenheit (120 Celsius) while the pressure should be around 15 pounds per one square inch.
After the autoclave machine has done its job, all bacteria, viruses, spores, fungi and other infectious organisms on the medical waste are destroyed.
When water is being autoclaved, it should never be placed in a sealed container and then in the autoclave machine. This may cause the container to explode and cause damage to the entire, not really cheap, machine. Instead, the cap or lid should be slightly loose in order to allow the pressure created to cycle through and doesn’t cause the container to break.
Finally, after autoclaving, medical waste should be cooled.
Steam sterilization, or autoclaving is today a widely used method for disinfecting hazardous waste generated by health care facilities. If used correctly, it is one of the most effective tools in bio-medical waste removal. For medical waste such as needles or scalpels, that were in contact with sick patients and probably contain traces of bacteria or other microorganisms, it is necessary that they go through the process of steam sterilization or autoclaving before they can be sent to a landfill, incinerated, recycled or reused.
That’s it, hopefully you now have a much better understanding of the importance of using autoclaves in bio-medical waste removal.
