How to clean and disinfect the reusable nasopharyngeal airway?

Reusable nasopharyngeal airways play an important role in the medical and emergency fields. To ensure safety and effectiveness, correct cleaning and disinfection methods are essential. Proper handling not only prolongs the life of the product, but also effectively prevents bacterial growth and reduces the risk of infection.
After use, preliminary cleaning is required first. The nasopharyngeal airway can be rinsed with warm water to remove secretions or other residues on the surface. Then, use a mild medical detergent or neutral soap with a soft brush to gently scrub the inner and outer surfaces to ensure that all dirt is thoroughly removed. During the cleaning process, special attention should be paid to the inside of the lumen. A flusher or straw brush can be used for deep cleaning to avoid foreign matter residue.
After cleaning, the nasopharyngeal airway needs to be disinfected to ensure that it remains sterile when it is used again. There are many disinfection methods to choose from, including high temperature disinfection, chemical disinfection or ultraviolet disinfection. For products made of high temperature resistant materials, high temperature steam sterilizers can be used for disinfection, which can effectively kill bacteria and viruses without affecting the physical properties of the airway. If chemical disinfection is used, medical alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or glutaraldehyde solution can be selected for soaking to ensure that the disinfectant can fully contact the entire instrument. Ultraviolet disinfection is also a common method that can quickly kill pathogenic microorganisms while reducing chemical residues.
After disinfection, the nasopharyngeal airway needs to be thoroughly rinsed with sterile water to remove any possible residual disinfectant. It should then be placed in a clean, dry environment to dry naturally to avoid contact with contamination sources. Special sterile packaging bags or sealed containers can be used for storage to ensure that it remains sterile until the next use.
Correct cleaning and disinfection methods can improve the safety of nasopharyngeal airway use and reduce the risk of cross-infection. Before use, medical personnel or users should carefully check whether the instrument is damaged or aging. If there are cracks, deformations or hardening of the material, new equipment should be replaced immediately to ensure safety and comfort. Through scientific maintenance methods, reusable nasopharyngeal airways can continue to play a role in medical practice and provide patients with safe and reliable respiratory support.