Focussed on 9 themes (equivalent to 15 hours of lectures) :
Theme 1 : Legislation
Theme 2 : Architecture, personnel, environment
Theme 3 : Cleaning - disinfection and controls
Theme 4 : Packaging and controls
Theme 5 : Sterilization methods and controls of the load
Theme 6 : Validation of each sterilization method
Theme 7 : Quality assurance, tracking and documentation
Theme 8 : Prions
Theme 9 : Instruments
General objectives :
To give the student the theoretical and practical skills to be able to conceive and implement in a hospital institution the whole of the processes related to sterilization, as part of a global quality assurance system.
Specific objectives
1. To master, by an in-depth scientific training, the most recent data regarding washing-disinfection and sterilization.
2. To acquire the aptitude to objectively respond to the questions related to the washing-disinfection and sterilization.
3. To tackle on a scientific way the research on washing-disinfection and sterilization.
4. To learn writing a specific procedure.
The contribution of this Teaching Unit to the development and command of the skills and learning outcomes of the programme(s) can be accessed at the end of this sheet, in the section entitled “Programmes/courses offering this Teaching Unit”.
During the evaluation based on a written examination, the student, confronted with original practical problems, must be able to explain and justify the solutions he suggests to put into practice.
The course makes the link between the legal regulations (Laws, Royal Decrees and Departmental Orders) and the practice experience gained by the students during their training period in a sterilization service.
Plan of the course
1. Introduction
a. History
b. Definitions
2. Legislation
a. Belgian
b. European.
3. Quality assurance and tracking
4. Environmental controls
a. Air
b. Water
c. Surfaces
d. Hands
5. Premises
6. Personnel
7. Qualitative aspects
8. Quantitative aspects
9. Treatments prior to sterilization
a. Chemicals
b. Manual treatment
i. Washing and disinfection
c. Automated treatment
i. Techniques
ii. Washing and thermal disinfection
iii. Controls of the washing process
1. Thermometric controls
2. Stain tests
iv. Controls of thermal disinfection
10. Techniques of sterilization
a. Dry heat sterilisation
i. Technique and Technology
ii. Guideline values
iii. Principles for loading and Controls
iv. Validation
v. Depyrogenation
b. Moist heat sterilization
i. Technique
ii. Guideline values
iii. Principles for loading and unloading
iv. Controls
1. Physico-chemical indicators
2. Microbiological indicators
3. Thermometric controls
v. Validation
1. Surgical instruments
2. Pharmaceutical Productions
c. Ethylene Oxide
i. Technique
ii. Guideline values
iii. Controls
1. Physico-chemical indicators
2. Microbiological indicators
3. Thermometric controls
iv. Validation
d. Hydrogen Peroxide
i. Technique
ii. Guideline values
iii. Controls
1. Physico-chemical indicators
2. Microbiological indicators
3. Thermometric controls
iv. Validation
e. Radiations
i. Gamma Rays
ii. Accelerated electrons
iii. Physico-chemical indicators
iv. Microbiological indicators
11. Packaging
a. One-Use packaging
i. Types
ii. Controls
iii. Sealing devices
1. Controls
b. Containers
i. Controls
12. Prions
a. History
b. Cleaning and disinfection
c. Sterilization
13. Maintenance of equipments
14. Treatment of new instruments
15. Specificity of dental instruments
