Decontamination cycle – the right steps

It is important that every required stage in the decontamination cycle is completed in the correct order, and that staff members involved in decontamination procedures fully understand the reasoning behind following the correct steps. Decontamination staff are likely to be faced with a number of choices during the completion of the cycle, for example:

Is the instrument clean upon inspection?

Are the instruments to be wrapped or unwrapped?

How are the instruments to be stored after sterilisation?

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) can be designed by the practice to suit the equipment, environment and processes they need to follow. Adequate training on the SOPs and decontamination processes should enable staff involved within decontamination to make informed choices to ensure that the instruments/devices are rendered safe for use on patients.