Water temperature for the first rinse of soiled instruments
CRCST practice question · Cleaning, Decontamination & Disinfection
When manually cleaning heavily soiled instruments, what water temperature should be used for the initial rinse to remove gross soil?
- A. Hot water near boiling, because heat loosens blood and kills microorganisms during rinsing
- B. Any temperature, because rinse temperature has no effect on how well blood is removed
- C. Hot water, because enzymatic detergents only work above the temperature of steam
- D. Cool or lukewarm water, because hot water can coagulate proteins and bind them to the surface
Answer
D. Cool or lukewarm water, because hot water can coagulate proteins and bind them to the surface
Blood and tissue are protein-based, and hot water causes proteins to coagulate and stick to instrument surfaces, making them harder to remove. Cool or lukewarm water is used for the initial rinse. Enzymatic detergents are damaged by high heat rather than activated by it.
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