by
Joanna Padovano, Reporter | March 28, 2012
Alfa Medical refurbished
Pelton & Crane sterilizer
From the March 2012 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Although the public seldom thinks about sterilizers, they are one of the most important parts of maintaining a safe medical facility. Without a properly functioning sterilizer, patients are at risk of contracting potentially life-threatening infections.
Depending on the type, manufacturer and size, a new sterilizer can cost anywhere from $50,000 to well over $300,000.
Mount Sinai Hospital in New York currently uses five steam and eight low-temperature sterilizers, all of which were purchased new, says Binchu John, the hospital’s sterilizing processing department director. Each unit typically runs between 11 and 15 loads per day. When one of the systems malfunctions, the facility utilizes its service contract and calls the manufacturer to come in and fix it. “Do not replace sterilizers unless [they’re] beyond repair,” says John.
With proper maintenance, health care facilities will have over a decade to make a return on their investment. There are many ways an end-user can extend the life of their sterilizer equipment. But one of the most important is to regularly perform preventive maintenance, such as cleansing every sterilizer with a liquid cleaner.
“If you run six cycles a day, then you should clean it once a week; if you run three cycles a day, you should clean it every two weeks,” says Shlomo Savyon, president of Alfa Medical, a sterilizer refurbishing, sales and service company. “You should run a cycle without any instruments—just with the liquid cleaner—and that will clean the pipes, the valves [and] it will coat the internal components to avoid rust and scaling.”
Sterilizer becoming fertile again
According to “Sterilization Equipment and Supplies - Global Strategic Business Report,” published by Global Industry Analysts in October 2011, the growth of the global sterilization equipment and supplies market slowed in 2009 due to the economic recession, which caused many hospitals to postpone buying new medical equipment. In 2010, however, the market experienced growth, driven largely by the increasing demand for infection control.
Moving forward, the report predicts that the global sterilization equipment and supplies market will be fueled by the necessity to replace or upgrade old equipment in order to stay technologically up-to-date. In addition, the anticipated increase in surgeries will create more of a demand for sterilization equipment in the future.
