[781403]
The surgery department noted that their spinal currette handles had lost their color and finish. The handles had become a gray color and were rough to touch. In the process of contacting a local company to repair the handles, the surgery department was told that these handles are made of cast aluminum attached to stainless steel shafts and blades. Instruments made with dissimilar metals or lying on one another in an autoclave will set up a battery. Pitting and corrosion will result when water, chemicals and heat are introduced. Transference of the aluminum particles will contaminate instruments made of stainless steel. The aluminum instrument handles were originally anodized - chemically coated with a thin layer of colored die. - this process is to keep aluminum from corroding. When the anodized surface is penetrated, either by wear or corrosion, aluminum oxide is exposed. Aluminum oxide is a toxic substance suspected of causing alzheimer's and some cancers. The aluminum fragments from these instrument handles are powdering off and contaminating the surgical wound and should not be used in surgery. The currettes have been removed from service and are being replaced with new ones. Triple enzyme detergent concentrate is the detergent used to clean surgical instruments now versus neutral ph detergent concentrate that was used in the past. Getinge powercon neutral ph detergent concentrate used for washing surgical instruments may have contributed to the corrosion process that occurred to these spinal currettes. The ph value of the product is 7. 0-8. 0.
Patient Sequence No: 1, Text Type: D, B5