Hospital autoclaves are one of the most popular ways to sterilize medical waste and tools on-site. This article will help your facility make a more informed decision about purchasing one, by considering factors such as price and the types of steam sterilizer most suited for large medical facilities.
1. How does a hospital autoclave work? Why should I purchase one?
Hospital autoclaves are like pressure cookers with a larger chamber where a variety of medical materials and waste can be loaded for treatment. They serve a dual purpose:
- They allow staff to treat medical waste on-site. This greatly reduces the risks associated with storing and transporting waste that can otherwise be highly infectious, since all autoclave-compatible materials will be sterile. Since they are free of any foreign materials, they can be thrown away like regular municipal waste.
- They allow staff to sterilize medical tools on-site. This allows the safe reuse of equipment like surgical tools without the risk of spreading infections among patients or staff. All surgical equipment is required to be sterile before use.
As for how they can achieve reliable sterilization: it’s thanks to high-pressure and high-temperature steam. With temperatures well over 100 degrees Celsius, even heat-resistant bacteria cannot survive.
The steam used by hospital sterilizer machines usually ranges between 121 and 134 degrees Celsius. By increasing the boiling point of water, autoclaves can even deal with foreign materials that would otherwise be resistant to heat.
2. Hospital autoclave prices vs on-site incinerator costs
Hospital autoclave prices are usually much lower compared to buying and operating an on-site incinerator. Maintenance is much easier, not to mention they require much less available space to be installed. Learning how to use them also takes much less time – no special training is required for staff.
Non-incineration technologies are also prioritized by the WHO for environmental reasons. There is no risk of harmful emissions with hospital autoclaves.
3. What kind of materials can a hospital autoclave sterilize?
NOTE: Always check the manufacturer’s instructions to see what materials your hospital autoclave can treat.
Still, here are some examples of autoclave-compatible materials:
- Contaminated solid items (either by blood or other bodily fluids)
- Stainless steel, metallic medical tools, surgical instruments
- Biological tissue culture flasks and plates
- Polypropylene and polycarbonate plastics, plastic pipette tips
- Culture media solutions
- Hospital linens, textile materials, paper
- Latex gloves, vinyl
- Glassware
4. What kind of hospital autoclave should I purchase? Price and other factors
Hospital autoclaves usually consist of large steam sterilizers whose chamber capacity can reach up to 880 liters. More compact, medium-sized models are also available to be used as secondary units or at the site of operating theaters.
The price of class B hospital autoclaves may be higher than other models, but there is a reason why so many medical facilities still choose these. They are much faster and more versatile, and their advanced energy-saving systems make them a much more cost-effective investment in the long term.