After cleaning, surgical instruments must be disinfected to ensure safe subsequent handling and processing. Thermal disinfection with moist heat, is the most common method for disinfection of medical devices in the hospital setting.
Disinfection effects can be defined by the A0 value, a physical parameter specified in ISO 15883-1, which denotes the inactivation of microorganisms. A particular A0 value can be achieved with the most diverse temperature/time combinations. For processing surgical instruments, an A0 value of 600 is specified in ISO 15883-2, corresponding to a hold time of 1 minute at 90 °C, ensuring lethality of bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi and heat-sensitive viruses.
If efficacy is also to be ensured against heat-resistant viruses, e.g. hepatitis B, many authorities in the field of disinfection, like the Robert Koch Institute, recommend an A0 value of 3000, corresponding to a temperature of 90 °C with a hold time of 5 min. A higher safety approach from this institute comprises a cycle at 93 ºC, 10 minutes, a program known as the €œBGA/RKI or epidemic program.
Integron® Indicators have been designed to react in moist heat disinfection processes in washer-disinfectors, providing an accurate, convenient method of routine control, and assuring disinfection efficiency. The green indicating ink was developed to turn to purple when temperature and time conditions are met.
Indications for use
Use the correspondent Integron® Indicator for monitoring thermal disinfection step in washer-disinfectors according to the following programs:
IT27W-1: 90 ºC, 1 minute. A0 = 600
IT27W-5: 90 ºC, 5 minutes. A0 =3000
IT27W-10: 93 ºC, 10 minutes. BGA/RKI/Epidemic Program