Sterilizing Catheters Microwave

Studies have shown non latex catheters have not become sterile when microwaved.

Sterilizing catheters microwave.

Red rubber urinary catheters were inoculated with common clinical uropathogens and were placed in sealed brown paper bags or ziploc plastic freezer bags and microwaved at full power for various timed intervals. Adequacy of sanitization and storage of catheters for intermittent use after washing and microwave sterilization. Microwaves used for sterilization of medical devices have not been fda cleared. Alcohol is the best way to sterilize catheters.

Sterilize catheters at home no special equipment required. Sterilizing without an autoclave biology minute duration. A home microwave oven may be used as a method to sterilize red rubber catheters for reuse with a recommended time of twelve minutes at full power. The use of microwave ovens to disinfect intermittent use catheters also has been suggested.

Bacteria and microwaved at 650 w for periods of 2 4 6 and 8 minutes. The catheters were infected with proteus sp. Microwaving red rubber catheters for two minutes is a very simple effective and economic way of sterilizing catheters for patients on intermittent self catheterizations madduri said. Bleach and betadine solutions may be just as safe but there has not been research done on these solutions.

However now the microwave oven is almost as common as the stove in most kitchens with at least 1 microwave oven in 83 of households 18 making it a convenient and practical method of catheter sterilization for many patients. Cdc disinfection sterilization guideline steril methods hicpac microwave. Of our patients almost 75 reported using a microwave oven for sterilization and the majority used 4 to 5 catheters daily. Studies were conducted utilizing a home microwave oven to sterilize catheters commonly used for intermittent self catherization.

A standard household 650 w microwave oven was used to sterilize polyethylene catheters of the type used for intermittent self catheterization. Researchers found that test bacteria e g e. How to sterilize jars using microwave in 60 seconds. Coli klebsiella pneumoniae candida albicans were eliminated from red rubber catheters within 5 minutes 931.

Do not use a microwave oven to sterilize urinary catheters. A water heat sink of constant volume was employed.