Because some cleaners can harm plastic surfaces over time, the use of some cleaning products could harm medical devices, according to an article on the Outpatient Surgery website.
Different cleaners are compatible with different plastics, so there's no single cleaner or process that's safe for all medical devices.
For instance, stress cracking occurs when the repeated use of incompatible chemical agents degrades the integrity of plastics.
"Any medical device that has a plastic component is susceptible," Jaime Schlorff, senior project officer, health devices group, for ECRI, said in the article. "There are different kinds of plastics, and different cleaners are compatible with different kinds of plastics."
Cleanliness Is a Measurable Outcome
Workplace Safety and the Role of Access Control
Henry Ford Hospital Celebrates Construction Milestone for Expansion Project
How EVS Leaders Can Support Staff for Better Cleaning
Addressing Infection Prevention Staffing Gaps in Ambulatory and Procedural Care