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Single use instruments

Discussion in 'General Issues and Discussion Forum' started by platesofmeat, Mar 4, 2009.

  1. platesofmeat

    platesofmeat Welcome New Poster


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    Hiya Pods!

    Has anyone used single use sterile instruments? Were they any good? Who Supplies them at cheap prices?
     
  2. monkey rob

    monkey rob Member

    Hi

    I work for the NHS in Devon and we are currently using disposables.

    At the moment, the contract is with Robinson Healthcare, although we are currently trying out packs from about 6 different companies I think...so it might be a case of 'watch this space'!

    The quality of the instruments is 'OK'...not brilliant. I think we have all found that on occasions we have had to open a second, and even a third(!) pack to get a decent pair of nippers.:hammer:

    The pack contents differ from company to company, & I assume the prices do too...but I am not involved in the purchasing so don't know.

    I think it is true to say, though, that decent discounts are given for bulk orders.

    Hope this helps.

    Rob
     
  3. platesofmeat

    platesofmeat Welcome New Poster

    Thanks, I'll take your advice and order a small quantity of instruments from different suppliers in the hope of finding nippers of a decent quality!
     
  4. twirly

    twirly Well-Known Member

    Hi plates',

    :welcome: to Podiatry Arena.

    Be cheeky. Ask for a sample pack from each one you contact.

    May say no but worth a try. ;)

    :drinks

    Best regards,

    Mandy.
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2009
  5. platesofmeat

    platesofmeat Welcome New Poster

    Hi Twirly,

    Thank you for welcoming me to the pod arena!:cool:

    I am cheeky enough to try that! I don't want to purchase instruments that are of poor quality/badly designed. Will keep you posted.

    Sharon
     
  6. Heather J Bassett

    Heather J Bassett Well-Known Member

    Hi welcome, I think we have had discussions on this topic before so perhaps worth searching threads, so are the nippers literally only used once? and then thrown away? What else is single use? Look out landfill?
    Cheers
     
  7. dyfoot

    dyfoot Active Member

    Hi,

    Disposable instruments will certainly save on labour, but not very environmentally sound!:boxing:

    Isn't there another current thread on "Green Podiatry"???!!!

    Cheers,:drinks

    Brad
     
  8. Nikki

    Nikki Active Member

    Here in Dorset we trialled single use instruments about two years ago. Our overall impression was, like Rob in Devon, the nippers were at times of very poor quality and too stiff to use. We value our staff so opted not to use them routinely, however feel that if all else fails they do have a place. To be fair if I remember rightly it was only the nippers that posed the problem. The hard part is throwing away all the instruments, used or not, after each patient.

    With regard the green issue, it appears that single use vs CSSD has roughly the same net effect on the environment (according to the info we had at the time, it may have changed over the last two years). The disposal costs of single use and the environmental impact is high. They cannot as far as I know be melted down and 'remade' so have to go to landfill. However the cleaning agents in CSSD also have an impact but this is not such an obvious one.

    We are currently moving over to CSSD, but may consider single use instruments for occasional use in exceptional circumstances.

    There are more single use suppliers on the market now than there were.
     
  9. dyfoot

    dyfoot Active Member

    Hi Nikki,

    I don't really think that using an CSSD is very efficient either! Why can't each clinic have an autoclave etc. and the instruments can be sterilised on site?:confused:

    As for chemicals, the only one we use on instruments is Sonidet, which is, as far as I can tell, simply a pH neutral detergent with a few additives, the information for which can be found here: http://www.whiteley.com.au/site/images/stories/sonidetmed.pdf

    Cheers,:drinks

    Brad Randazzo
     
  10. Nikki

    Nikki Active Member

    Hi Brad,

    We don't currently have much of a choice. We have been using bench top sterilizers for the last 18 years or so, very successfully. However the decontamination project set up in roundabout 2000 by our Department of Health came to the conclusion that CSSD was the preferred method to ensure sterility of instruments, and that bench top sterilizers should be phased out. This is all in the wake of vCJD among other things and it was deemed best practice to have all instruments be completely traceable from purchase to disposal at end of life.

    There were also problems identified with having bench top sterilizers in the same room as patients were being treated (the current norm in NHS practice). There should be a separate room for cleaning used instruments and sterilizing them, which was just not possible to achieve. My department has clinics in 85 separate buildings, so CSSD may well be better in the long run for us at least.

    I have to say it does seem a bit of overkill for routine treatments of podiatry patients, however with increasing numbers of ulcerations being seen and treated on a daily basis, perhaps we are carrying out invasive treatments?

    http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publication...tions/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_077650

    This is the document which explains it all (see p19 for where Podiatry gets a fleeting mention).
     
  11. The company that I use for my Single use instruments are Disposable Medical Instruments in Bury St edmunds.

    I would recommend this company for quality and price

    Caroline Barwick-Walters
     
  12. tracyd123

    tracyd123 Member

    OAPL here in Australia have just introduced a range of disposable instruments, they have a general set (nippers, file and blacks file) and a nail surgery set.

    We are in the process of sourcing disposal methods. We are thinking of using these in a hospital setting to stop us transporting instruments across sites to reduce the load we have to carry.

    Thanks
     
  13. Hi there OaPL

    The company that I am using, and who have now employed me as their Evaluation Director for single use instruments is Disposable Medical Instruments, put that into google and I believe they are the top of the site .

    Based in my home town of beautiful Bury St edmuds. Hope this is of some use to you. Good luck
     
  14. ToesRus

    ToesRus Welcome New Poster

    Hi
    Can any of you give me a web site or book reference that i can quote regarding single use over steralization for my SMAE course please. I kind of know both sides of the argument but have reference and can't find anything out there!!!
    Thank You
     
  15. Kevin. M

    Kevin. M Welcome New Poster

    Hi All....

    The company I work for (based in the UK) currently has a significant discount on 14cm nippers, nail files and 20cm foot dressers (as well as packs which include all the above, sterile paper and 2 gallipots).

    Please message me if you are interested, or alternatively you can give me a call on
    +447714012514

    I am more than happy to provide you with a sample, as well as volume based discounts.

    Kevin
     
  16. Deka08

    Deka08 Active Member

    We have recently run into some issues locating single use clipper sets. We have been using the timesco sets supplied through Briggate. But apparently they are unable to be accessed any more. Does anyone out there have any alternative suggestions?
    Cheers
     
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