Re: air dryer gun on cannulated instruments

07/04/2020 at 10:12 am #76680

Morris, Sylvia (Health)

Participant

Author:
Morris, Sylvia (Health)

Email:
Sylvia.Morris@SA.GOV.AU

Organisation:

State:

Hi Kerrin,

It is not uncommon for a CSSD to have an air gun in the clean area. With change comes unexpected issues. Air guns were usually in the manual cleaning section of CSSD to enable flushing of cleaned cannulated items and assisted drying of anaesthetic items, even those that came out of washers.

With the move to segregated areas through the use of pass through washers many facilities have put an air gun in the clean area as close as possible to where instruments are removed from dryers or washers as you are right they are often not well dried.

There is a small risk of aerosol spray so in SA we have encouraged facilities to have a cabinet of for use of air guns. The air gun is passed through the back of the cabinet and the cabinet has sufficient room to lift the lid to put the RMD inside and handle the RMD and air gun. The short lid gives some user protection. There are commercial lab type cabinets that can be purchased as well although these often take a lot of room and are expensive.

It is also recommended that a low lint wipe is on the floor of the cabinet to catch any contents flushed out. I haven’t seen staff wearing PPE in the clean area but this could be considered.

I don’t know if there is an extra risk with Covid-19 but this cabinet protects staff from flushing body fluids in to the environment, although it is hoped that the RMD is cleaned well enough not to have any body fluid remnants, just water.

If you can use your dryer and it works that is fine but it is not always easy to get droplets of water out of cannulated items.

I shall try and find out if the Infectious Disease people have an opinion on Covid-19 and use fo air guns.

Best wishes

Sylvia

________________________________

Good morning,
I dont understand how they are using the air gun post washer/disinfector. I have never seen an air gun in the packing area. Our washers do not totally dry some cannulated instruments however they are placed in the dryer in an upright position for 15 mins then retested to see if they are dry.
We have decided that for any cases with confirmed Covid-19 the instrument trays will go through the washer/disinfector for thermal disinfection, prior to any other cleaning. The cycle will be manually aborted at the drying stage to enable them to be taken back out in the receive area. Then any brushing, flushing, ultrasonic etc as per manufacturers instructions will be carried out prior to them being put back through an entire cycle.

Regards Kerrin

Kerrin Maher RN BN
Nurse Unit Manager | Central Sterilising Department
QEll Jubilee Hospital | Metro South Health
Kessels Road QLD 4108
t. 07 31826151
e. kerrin.maher@health.qld.gov.au

HI there

I was asked by CSSD this morning regarding the use of our air dryer gun on cannulated instruments. Staff are still using this to dry cannulated instruments as the new washers drying cycle does not completely dry these instruments.

Im just wondering whether there is any advice on the use of this with covid19. They stated they had read one paper that did mention this but now find it.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cate Coffey
Clinical Nurse Manager

Central Australia Health Service
Department of Health
Northern Territory Government

Infection Prevention and Control Unit
Alice Springs Hospital
PO Box 2234, Alice Springs, NT 0871

t. 08 8951 7737
http://www.health.nt.gov.au

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