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Pioneering Antiseptic Surgery
You may know from mouthwash, that this man pioneered antiseptic surgery. Before, surgery was done in an almost clean environment. After his use of antiseptic sterile environments, surgeries became more successful. Do you know what his name is? Hint: It is lent to a certain brand of mouthwash.
The Answer
His name is Joseph Lister. Lister was a British surgeon who used carbolic acid as a disinfectant for surgical purposes. Before sterile surgeries, patients would die of an infection from dirty instruments, or microbes entering at the wound site. He would put carbolic acid on wound dressings, and washed his hands during and after surgery. His name is lent to the mouthwash Listerine. Lister is known as the “father of antiseptic surgery.”
Why Are Clean Environments Important?
Lister’s legacy became standard practice for all surgeons. Clean environments reduce the risk of infection. The use of sterilizers and clean environments reduce the chance that a dangerous microbe will penetrate the body. Although people can still die from infections at the wound site, it is far less likely to be as a result from work environments.
Today, hospitals take sterile technique even further with modern equipment that makes sure every tool and surface is as clean as possible before it touches a patient. That includes autoclaves, sterilizers, washers, and disinfectors that thoroughly clean surgical instruments, and advanced sterilizers that finish the job without damaging delicate items. One popular example is the ASP Sterrad 100NX with ALLClear technology. It uses hydrogen peroxide vapor and plasma to safely sterilize heat-sensitive instruments like endoscopes and cameras in a low-temperature process that is gentle but extremely effective. Many facilities also rely on reliable washers and disinfectors to handle the heavy daily workload in the sterile processing department.
A good number of hospitals keep costs under control by choosing high-quality refurbished versions of this equipment instead of buying everything brand new. Soma Tech Intl is the largest refurbished medical equipment company in the world, and they refurbish all these units, sterilizers, washers, disinfectors, and more, right in their own facility with their own team of biomedical engineers. It is a practical way for hospitals to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and infection control that Joseph Lister helped start, while still being smart about their budget.
