Choosing a low | 合法醫療器材資訊網

Low-temperaturesterilizationtechnologiesareusedinsteadofsteamforsterilizingheat-sensitiveormoisture-intolerantsurgicalequipmentandsupplies.

Low-temperature sterilization technologies are used instead of steam for sterilizing heat-sensitive or moisture-intolerant surgical equipment and supplies. In this Guidance Article, we describe several common alternatives, but we focus specifically on the two that have generated the most interest in recent years: ethylene oxide (EtO) and gas plasma sterilization. Ethylene oxide has been used as a low-temperature sterilization technology since the 1950s. Although EtO can be used safely, exposure to this gas is known to be a health hazard, and the emissions from certain EtO sterilizers are known to pollute the atmosphere. For these reasons, the use of EtO is regulated--more strictly in some regions than in others--and many healthcare facilities have decided to investigate alternative technologies. Gas plasma sterilization emerged in the 1990s as one promising alternative. This method appears to pose fewer health and e...