How long does it take to soak in glutaraldehyde disinfectant?

Glutaraldehyde disinfectant solution is a common disinfectant in real life. It contains a high level of disinfectant ingredients and a variety of enhancers. It can effectively kill bacteria and control inflammation. Glutaraldehyde disinfectant solution can also be used to soak objects or medical equipment. Generally, objects need to be soaked for about 30 minutes. If medical equipment is to be soaked, it needs to be soaked for about 30-40 minutes.

Glutaraldehyde disinfectant immersion time

Glutaraldehyde, with the molecular formula C5H8O2, is a colorless, transparent, oily liquid with a pungent odor and is soluble in hot water. Glutaraldehyde is hailed as the third milestone in the development history of chemical disinfectants after formaldehyde and ethylene oxide disinfection. Glutaraldehyde is a highly effective disinfectant with the characteristics of broad spectrum, high efficiency, low toxicity, low corrosion to metals, little influence by organic matter, and good stability.

①Disinfection and sterilization of medical devices

2% glutaraldehyde (alkaline, acidic, neutral) can be used to disinfect and sterilize various medical devices that are not afraid of moisture. Completely immerse the clean and dry instruments in glutaraldehyde aqueous solution at room temperature for 30 minutes to achieve a disinfection effect of more than 10 hours.

Regardless of the preparation, 0.5% sodium nitrite must be added as a preservative before use. However, once the preservative is added, it can only be stored for 1 month, and alkaline glutaraldehyde can only be used continuously for 1-2 weeks.

②Disinfection and sterilization of endoscopes

Glutaraldehyde is the drug of choice for endoscope disinfection. Many parts of modern endoscopes are not resistant to high temperatures and are afraid of corrosion, and the requirements for disinfection and sterilization are becoming increasingly higher. Therefore, most endoscopes are disinfected or sterilized with glutaraldehyde.

The correct operating procedure for glutaraldehyde disinfection or sterilization is:

First, make the contaminated items harmless (endoscopes can be cleaned directly). Endoscopes can be cleaned with 0.2% effective chlorine cleaning disinfectant; rinse, rinse the detergent with clean water; then carefully scrub with neutral or enzyme detergent; dry, the instruments need to be dried after washing; sterilize, immerse the dried instruments completely in 2% glutaraldehyde solution for the specified time, take out and rinse the residual glutaraldehyde with sterile distilled water before use or dry and store.

Hazards

Health Hazards: Harmful if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin. It is highly irritating to eyes, skin and mucous membranes. Inhalation can cause inflammation of the larynx and bronchus, chemical pneumonia, pulmonary edema, etc. This product may cause allergic reactions.

Environmental hazards: Harmful to the environment and may cause water pollution.

Explosion hazard: This product is flammable and highly irritating.

Hazardous characteristics: Flammable when exposed to open flame or high heat. Contact with strong oxidants may cause chemical reactions. Its vapor is heavier than air and can spread to a considerable distance at a lower level and will burn when encountering a fire source. It is easy to self-polymerize, and the polymerization reaction intensifies rapidly as the temperature rises. If exposed to high heat, the pressure inside the container will increase, causing the container to crack and explode.

Occupational protection: Glutaraldehyde can cause local skin and mucous membrane irritation, and has been reported to cause allergic contact dermatitis, asthma, epistaxis, rhinitis, etc. Therefore, when contacting glutaraldehyde solution, thick rubber gloves and goggles should be worn to prevent the liquid from splashing into the eyes. In order to reduce the concentration of glutaraldehyde in indoor air, there must be good ventilation equipment indoors; a local exhaust hood should be installed above the container containing glutaraldehyde, and the container must be covered in time when preparing the solution and putting in and taking out items to prevent the evaporation of glutaraldehyde. Special groups of people who are frequently exposed to glutaraldehyde, such as nurses, will experience sensitization in the short term, which will cause great harm to the visual organs and respiratory tract; in the long term, it can easily lead to occupational asthma.