Instrument Reprocessing – Essential Steps to Sterilization/High Level Disinfection

According to the FDA, adequate reprocessing of reusable medical devices is vital to protecting patient safety.¹ This goes for semi-critical as well as critical medical device reprocessing. Proper medical device reprocessing is essential to any facility’s infection prevention program. Use our products as a stand-alone solution or maximize results by integrating the Metrex instrument reprocessing system to prolong the life of your instruments and equipment.

Metrex provides various products for medical device reprocessing, such as enzymatic/detergent cleaners, instrument lubricants, drying agents, and agents for corrosion removal and corrosion protection. We offer products and education for both manual and automatic instrument reprocessing.

No sterilization system can reliably penetrate the bioburden on soiled surgical instruments. This is why the pre-cleaning step is so critical. A reliable pre-cleaner that breaks down protein-rich bodily fluids and adheres to AAMI Guidelines2 is essential for instrument reprocessing. Automatic medical device reprocessing provides powerful cleaning, which starts in the operating room to prevent debris for drying on instruments. EmPower™ dual-enzymatic detergent saves time during the manual cleaning process by removing organic matter and keeping it off, while EmPower™ Foam is a ready-to-use spray that starts that the pre-cleaning process. Other products such as detergents, multi-purpose instrument cleaner and polish, lubricate concentrate, descaler and rust remover, and drying agent products are also offered to aid in the medical device reprocessing process. Metrex is a one stop shop of products necessary for instrument reprocessing in the healthcare environment.

Metrex also provides a wide assortment of sizes that range from standard 1–30 gallon containers. The products support most washing systems, and are designed to work in tandem to improve effectiveness. Medical device reprocessing becomes simplified and effective.

MetriZyme is used to pre-clean critical or semi-critical medical devices prior to terminal sterilization or high level disinfection. It is comprised of dual- protease enzymes. The active ingredients offer optimal cleaning action on a variety of protein soils. Inclusion of surfactants provides additional cleaning on carbohydrates, lipid soils and protein soils. The protein-dissolving enzymes in MetriZyme allow for fast, simple removal of bodily fluids that often cannot be accomplished manually with soaps and other detergents.

MetriClean2 is used to pre-clean critical or semi-critical medical devices prior to terminal sterilization or high level disinfection. Additionally, it is a polisher and cart washer agent. The alkaline-pH, low-foaming, concentrated cleaner is ideal for stainless steel instruments and cart washers. It enhances functionality and life of the instruments by helping to remove stains and reduce corrosion. It is ideal for use in manual cleaning systems, washer sterilizers, washer decontaminators, ultrasonic cleaners and cart washers.

MetriLube is an oil-based instrument lubricant that coats metal instruments to prevent spotting, staining, and rusting of surgical instruments and helps keep hinges working freely.