Resterilization of instruments used in oral and maxillofacial surgery

Resterilization of instruments used on one patient for reuse on another has been common practice in oral and maxillofacial surgery. In the past decade, there has been promotion of single-use devices (SUDS) in many surgical specialties as a strategy to prevent the transmission of blood and tissue borne pathogens from patient to patient. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of reusing instruments that were used during oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures. There were three experiments. Experiment 1 examined instruments that were used in the operating room and then steam sterilized following four different treatment regimens. Experiment 2 examined instruments that were used during minor oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures in a hospital-based clinic. These instruments were cleaned and sterilized using ethylene oxide in the central sterilizing department (CSD) in the hospital. Experiment 3 examined hand instruments that were used during minor oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures in the operating room. These instruments were then cleaned and sterilized in the CSD in the hospital using steam sterilization. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...