advantage
1 Ethylene oxide is considered to be the best chemical disinfectant with the best sterilization effect at present, which can kill all microorganisms including bacterial spores;
2 Strong penetrability, can penetrate irregularly shaped, complex structure, and difficult to permeate items (such as long and thin catheters). It is difficult to achieve the sterilization effect with other sterilization methods, and only ethylene oxide can be used Low temperature sterilization or irradiation;
3 Ethylene oxide kills microorganisms by using the principle of alkylation, not the oxidation process, so it has little damage to items and has a very wide range of uses for the sterilization of heat-labile precision instruments;
4 Sterilized items can be stored for a long time, up to 336 days;
5 It can be wrapped with various packaging materials during sterilization, which is convenient for storage and transportation, and can be used after opening the package;
6 Relatively speaking, ethylene oxide does not corrode plastics, metals and rubbers, and will not make things yellow or brittle.
7 It can be used for the sterilization of items that cannot be soaked with disinfectant, dry heat, pressure, steam and other chemical gases.
Disadvantage
Ethylene oxide is toxic and is a suspected carcinogen. The concentration in indoor air should be controlled within the nationally prescribed standards, and the surrounding environment needs to be tested regularly, and staff should be checked and tracked;
②Because a longer ventilation time is required to remove the residue of ethylene oxide, the entire sterilization cycle time is longer, generally more than 10 hours;
③Ethylene oxide is flammable and explosive, and must not leak during storage and sterilization. A safe sterilizer must be selected for safe operation and storage;
④The cost is relatively high due to the required purification process, special discharge system, regular environmental inspections and regular physical examinations and follow-up records of employees.
