The 8 decontamination steps are shuffled below. Tap them in the order they actually happen, from the moment the instrument leaves the procedure to the moment it passes inspection. Every miss comes with a warm coaching note and a memory anchor.
Pick the step that comes first. Hint: it starts before the instrument ever reaches decontam.
The workflow runs in this order: point-of-use treatment, transport to decontamination in closed containers, PPE and sorting, soaking, manual cleaning, mechanical cleaning with an ultrasonic cleaner or washer-disinfector, rinsing, and inspection. Instruments only move on to prep and pack after they pass inspection.
No. Mechanical cleaning comes after manual cleaning, it does not replace it. Manual cleaning with brushing under the water line removes gross soil first, then the ultrasonic cleaner or washer-disinfector reaches the spots brushes cannot. The order matters: soak, manual clean, then mechanical clean.
Rinsing removes detergent and chemical residues left by the cleaning process. Leftover chemicals can cause tissue irritation and staining, and they interfere with sterilization. Never skip the rinse: it comes after mechanical cleaning and before inspection.
It goes back for recleaning. Inspection is the gate between cleaning and prep and pack, and an instrument that is not clean, dry, functional, and complete cannot move forward. A failed inspection never means sending it to the sterilizer anyway.