My name is Marilyn Baker, and I have horrible allergies. I’m 42 years old and have been suffering from allergies since I was a child. I have seasonal and environmental allergies. Allergies plague me year round. When I was young, my parents even moved to a dryer area in the hope of helping me. Over the past eight years, I have done extensive research both through doctors and online. I have managed to come up with some combinations that have helped me a great deal. My allergies aren’t gone, but they have become manageable. I do have to have allergy shots, but I also use some natural remedies. I am happy to be able to share my findings with you here on my blog. I hope you can find some of this of value.
While there are many medical device sterilization options available, about 50 percent of all medical devices are sterilized with ethylene oxide (EO) due to the unique benefits of the EO device sterilization process. Unlike sterilization techniques that require high heat and/or corrosive chemicals, EO sterilization kills bacteria and other pathogens on medical devices without damaging fragile components made from polymers, glass, and even cotton fibers.
However, there are many EO device sterilization myths that make some medical facility staff members and even medical device manufacturers unsure if this sterilization type is right for their companies. Read on to learn about two common EO device sterilization myths and the facts behind them.
1. EO Device Sterilization Leaves Toxic Residue Behind
Some people worry that EO device sterilization will leave toxic residue behind on their medical devices after the sterilization process. This misconception stems from the fact that ethylene oxide is a toxic gas that can be harmful to the health of humans when large amounts are inhaled at once or low levels of the chemical gas are inhaled for many years.
The truth is that American ethylene oxide sterilization procedures are overseen closely by both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that the medical devices sterilized with this gas are not harmful to a human's health.
These two agencies inhibit the sales and use of medical devices with unacceptable levels of residual ethylene oxide and ethylene chlorohydrin, which is a chemical by-product of EO sterilization.
2. EO Sterilization is Not An Environmentally Friendly Practice
Ethylene oxide is produced and used in a variety of industries aside from medical device sterilization. In fact, most of the ethylene oxide produced in the United States is used to create ethylene glycol, otherwise known as automobile anti-freeze. While the creation of EO gas does create some carbon dioxide, which is an environmental pollutant, environmental researchers have found new ways to create this gas so that it does not release any carbon dioxide into the environment.
This new ethylene oxide production method is called Pressure Intensified Light Olefin Epoxidation, and it does not rely on heat, as traditional ethylene oxide production does. The heat that ethylene oxide is subjected to when being manufactured in a more traditional way leads to an unwanted burning of the gas that creates carbon dioxide.
In addition, the EPA has not yet determined if the ethylene oxide sterilization process releases enough of this substance into the air to cause harm to the environment. The agency is currently in the process of monitoring the amount of EO emitted by facilities that perform EO sterilization to determine if EO emissions guidelines should be created.
EO device sterilization helps kill bacteria and other pathogens on medical devices that have fragile components that other sterilization techniques can damage. Now that you know the facts behind two EO device sterilization myths, contact a local EO sterilization service to learn more.
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