|
AUTOCLAVE BAGS AND CHAMBER LINERS:
Autoclave bags and chamber liners are required to keep the melting red bags from sticking on the sterilizers chamber walls. Several types of autoclave bags and chamber liners are available. The raw materials used in its manufacture and the product specifications determine the quality of a plastic bag and its suitability for use to contain infectious waste. Two different criteria are often used to judge the suitability of a plastic bag: It's thickness and its durability, as evaluated by the ASTM dart test (16).
Packaged infectious waste should be easily identifiable. This may be accomplished by the use of containers with the distinctive red or orange color that indicates biohazardous material. Another option is the use of the universal symbol on all infectious waste packages and containers. The identification system should include clear labeling to indicate all hazards that are present in the waste. The dispersal of infectious agents can be greatly reduced double bagging the waste, rather than single bagging waste. For aesthetic reasons opaque plastic is sometimes preferable when containing certain types of infectious waste. Translucent bags are suitable for infectious waste when aesthetics are not a concern. Standard plastic bags are constructed of polyethylene material and tend to break down at the temperatures achieved through steam sterilization.
The autoclaveable bags, or liners, are made out of a polypropylene plastic. This material does not melt at the temperatures achieved at sterilization, and maintains its integrity. Thus, the autoclaveable bag acts as containment bag in the life of the sterilization chamber and allows the steam to penetrate the waste load completely. Since sterilization is accomplished through a combination of time and temperature, each autoclaveable bag is marked with a biological indicator or "Kill Strip". The indicator will turn colors after it has been exposed to the sterilization process; thus, anyone visually checking the sterilized waste load will be able to monitor the kill strip and simultaneously verify the adequacy of the steam sterilizers (steam sterilizers should be manually inspected and serviced by authorized personnel in addition to “Kill Strip” review).
Monitoring the steam sterilization process through manual and “Kill Strip” inspection is required to ensure the effective treatment of the waste load. The process should be monitored periodically (usually once per month) to check that proper procedures are being followed, and that the equipment is functioning properly. The United States Pharmacopoeia recommends Bacillus Stearothermophilus as the biological indicator for monitoring steam sterilization. |
