1. CENTRAL STERILE SUPPLY SERVICE
Sterlization Of Surgical Dressings

2. CONTENT: Preparing to Sterilize the Needle Sterilizing the Needle
Disadvantage
Reference

3. How to Sterilize a Needle
Sterilization and disinfecting needles are two different practices. Disinfecting kills most of the bacteria and contaminants, while sterilization kills all of them. If it is need to sterilize a needle, make sure to take extra care to keep the needle uncontaminated until use it.

4. Part1:
Preparing to Sterilize the Needle
1)Wear gloves.
 Before you handle any needles, you need to wear gloves. If you don't have gloves, make sure you wash your hands (and wrists) thoroughly.

5. 2)Gather sterilized equipment.
 When you are sterilizing needles, you need to make sure that you don't contaminate the needle after you sterilize it.Use sterilized tongs or spoons to pick the needle out of whatever device you place it in. Don't touch the newly sterilized needle with your hands or gloves. You could have contaminants on them.
Place the needle in a sterilized container if you are storing it.

6. 3)Wash the needle.
 Before you sterilize the needle, make sure to wash it. This removes any dirt, grime, or blood left on the needle. This is extremely important if you have used the needle before.
Make sure to clean inside the needle if it is hollow. Use a clean or sterilized syringe to run water and soap through the inside.

7. 4)Rinse the needles. 
After washing the needles with soap or disinfectant, you need to rinse them with sterile water.
Make sure to use sterile water instead of distilled water. Distilled water can still contain bacteria. You need to rinse the needles to make sure there are no deposits from the washing left behind

8. Part2:
Sterlizing the needles
Use steam. 
Steam is one of the most widely used and effective methods for sterilizing needles. When sterilizing with steam, you can use a pressure cooker set at 15 pounds per square inch. Leave the needle in the pressure cooker at the following temperatures and durations:
240 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes
250 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes
260 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes
275 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes
also use a steaming pot to do this instead of a pressure cooker. Put water in the bottom pot. When it starts to boil, place the needle in the pot with the holes over the boiling pot, then cover it with a lid. Let it steam for at least 20 minutes.
An autoclave is a tool specifically made for sterilizing needles and other tools by steam. need to sterilize needles often and precisely

9. Use steam

10. 2)Bake the needle.
 Wrap the needle in multiple layers of clean cloth. Bake the needle for 1 hour at 340 degrees Fahrenheit. This is one way to completely sterilize the needle by killing all the microorganisms. Make sure you leave it in the oven long enough. This method can be used to sterilize needles used for acupuncture, medical use, and piercings and tattoos.
Dry heat can cause the needle to become brittle.

11. 3)Use fire. 
Use a gas-fueled fire because they leave less residue behind.  Place the needle tip in the flame until it glows red. Sterilizing a needle in a flame is good for home use, but doesn't get completely sterile because the needle can pick up contaminants in the air afterwards.
If there are any soot or carbon deposits on the needle, wipe it with a sterile gauze pad.
This method is effective for removing a splinter, but is not the most sterile. Therefore, it is not recommended for piercing, tattooing, or medical uses.

12. 4)Boil the needle in water.
 One way to sterilize a needle is to drop it in boiling water. can also pour boiling water over it. This is a good method to use at home; however, this method is not 100% effective. Boiling can leave some microorganisms behind; some microorganisms can't be killed even with over 20 hours of boiling.
Boiling works on metals.
Leave the needle in the water for 10 minutes.  To be more thorough that killed everything, cover the pot and boil for up to 30 minutes.
This method can be used for things like removing a splinter or home body jewelry care, but not for things like sterilizing medical supplies or tools and jewelry in a shop.

13. Use chemicals.
 You can sterilize a needle by using chemicals. Soak in the mixture for at least 20 minutes, unless it's drinking alcohol. If you use drinking alcohol, soak it in that solution for an entire day. You can rinse the needle in the following chemicals:
Rubbing alcohol
Bleach. If it's 5% available chlorine, you can use it undiluted. If it is 10%, use 1 part bleach to 1 part water; for 15%, use 1 part bleach to 2 parts water.
Hydrogen peroxide
Gin or vodka

14. Dry heat sterilisation
Expouser at 160 degree for 1-2 hours is required.
This method is most satisfactory because all moisture is eliminated minimising Erosion of glass surface
Free circulation of air between various packages should be facilitated.
Another method of packing syringes in Pyrex glass tube of large diameter
This placed in autoclave and sterilized by steam jacket it act like hot air sterilisation.
Infra red conveyor oven
Infrared heat is conveyed in single layer or gas convection oven is used.
Exposure of infrared ray for 20 min.at 180degree for sterilisation
Hot air oven

15. Disadvantage of heat sterilisation
This required long sterilisation time varying from 3-4 Hr to overnight
In steam sterilisation part of syringes disassembled if this is not done
Contact of steam to all part cannot assured and process may infective.
Residual film of moisture may attack the ground glass and leak out alkali which later will destroy drug entered in syringes.

16. Reference: It is used in once then destroy it. Disposable Syringe
H.P.Tipnis,Amrita Bajaj, Book of Hospital Pharmacy pg no.200