Are You Using the Right Autoclave for Your Medical Practice?

Today, we automatically assume when we go to the doctor’s office for any type of procedure, that the office will be clean, the examination rooms tidy and that any instruments used will be sterile. But this has not always been the case. For instance, consider the story of Hungarian doctor, Ignaz Semmelweis.

In the 1840s, Dr. Semmelweis worked in a maternity ward and began to notice that many of the women died after giving birth. In most cases, COD was what they believed to childbed fever. The clinic where he worked had two sides – one staffed by male doctors and medical students, the other ran by midwives. In time, he noted that the number of deaths was five times higher on the medical doctors’ side, where women gave birth laying on their back, while the midwives had mothers lay on their sides.

More studying, and he realized that position had nothing to do with number of deaths. Dr. Semmelweis conducted several other studies before making the connection that the difference in numbers was due to the midwives washing their hands. He tried – though not very tactfully – to convince the medical professionals to wash more, and to use a chlorine solution on their hands and their instruments. This caused childbed fever numbers to drop significantly. However, because of his strong-arm techniques and abrasive approach, he was eventually fired by the hospital. The clinics practices and procedures reverted to pre-Semmelweis days and the death count again rose. It was not until years later that the medical profession realized the value of a clean and sterile environment.

So, the big take away – Clean, sterile instruments, plus clean hands, saves lives.

Of course, in this day and age, the importance of a clean and sterile environment is commonplace. From the waiting area to the examination room, surgery to recovery, it is vital that everything is clean. There are many actions and tools implemented to accomplish this, but one of the most used tools is the autoclave machine.

There are few offices today that do not use some type of autoclave to ensure their instruments are clean and sterile. And, while all autoclave machines accomplish the same thing, not all autoclaves are the same. At National MD, we offer a wide range of autoclaves from Tuttnauer.

Tuttnauer Autoclaves

All of the Tuttnauer autoclaves meet the ANSI/AAMI ST55 and come with a 2-year warranty on parts and labor.

EZ9Plus – In addition to the 2-year warranty, this autoclave system also comes with a 10-year warranty on the chamber. It is designed for easy water filling, has closed door drying, a deep sterilization chamber and can use 3 full size trays and does not need additional cassette racks. There is an optional pouch and printer documents with a detailed history of each cycle.

EZ11Plus – Retrieving information about cycle data is easy as this autoclave has a port for your flash drive. Combined that with the ability to accommodate 4 full plus 4 half-sized cassettes, closed door drying, front or top water fill options and an easy to read multi-color display and you have an autoclave perfect for nearly any office.

EZ9 – With a low water sensors that prevents activation of sterilization, constant monitoring of temperature and pressure for sterilization, an audible and visual cycle interruption alert and automatic shut off at the end of each cycle, you will find many reasons to choose this particular autoclave machine.

EZ10 – This autoclave has many of the same features as the other models, butis also designed to meet 510k clearance for dental offices. It also has pre-loaded cycles for unwrapped instruments, wrapped/packs, glassware and additional drying cycle.

EZ10K – This is the perfect machine when time is of the essence. The EZ10K autoclave is known for its quick turnaround and reliability making it a great choice for a busy office.

3870EA – This is the largest autoclave from Tuttnauer. It is ideal for multi-doctor practices, clinics or surgeries. It has the capacity for 15 full size IMS cassettes and can accommodate longer instruments or a large number of small instruments.

Be sure that your health facility doesn’t just meet the ANSI/AAMI ST55 standards but it exceeds them. With autoclaves from Tuttnauer you can know that you are doing your part to keep your patient family risk free. If you have questions about which autoclave machine is best for your location, give us a call.