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MDA/2003/019 - Re-usable stainless steel vaginal specula

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Document details:

Type: Medical Device Alert
Series No: MDA/2003/019
Audience: Healthcare products
Published:
Format:
Size: A4
Pages: 4
Price: free
ISBN/ISSN:
Author:
Copyright: Crown
   

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Page 1

Ref. MDA/2003/019
Issued: 16 April 2003

IMMEDIATE ACTION  
ACTION Tick mark
UPDATE  
INFORMATION REQUEST  


  Further Information
DEVICE:
Re-usable stainless steel vaginal specula.		  
PROBLEM:
Inadequate decontamination before re-use.		  
*
ACTION BY:
Practice nurses, General Practitioners, all medical and nursing staff in Family Planning Clinics and Sexual Health Clinics, Obstetricians, Gynaecologists, Infection Control Teams, Sterile Services Managers.		  

ACTION:

  • Re-usable stainless steel vaginal specula should be decontaminated before re-use in line with the manufacturers' instructions.
  • If manufacturer instructions are unavailable (e.g. older devices where the manufacturer can no longer be contacted) the device should be cleaned to remove all contamination followed by sterilization in a steam sterilizer (autoclave).

Note: cleaning is part of the decontamination process.

  
*

DISTRIBUTED to:

NHS Trusts (England) - Chief Executives
National Care Standards Commission - Headquarters
Primary Care Trusts (England) - Chief Executives
Health Protection Agency - Chief Executive
 
*
CONTACTS:
MHRA contacts for technical and clinical aspects. Change of address or removal from address list for services registered under the Care Standards Act 2000.		  
*
FEEDBACK REQUIREMENTS:
Please feedback details of any problems found.		  


* Further information supplied in the following pages.

Page last modified: 07 February 2008