The sterilisation of instruments plays a crucial role in podiatry to ensure patient safety and prevent infections. An autoclave for podiatry is an indispensable device that reliably eliminates all microorganisms - including bacteria, viruses and fungi - through steam sterilisation with heat and pressure.

While cleaning and disinfection already reduce germs, only steam steril isation in an autoclave achieves complete sterility. This is particularly important for critical applications such as the treatment of open wounds or the treatment of diabetic feet, where even the smallest germ residue can cause serious infections.

Advantages of an autoclave in podiatry

A modern autoclave offers podiatrists numerous advantages that go beyond hygiene:

1. Compliance with legal requirements: The guidelines of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) stipulate proper sterilisation of medical instruments - an autoclave for podiatry practices reliably meets these requirements.

2. Maximum protection against infection: Complete decontamination of the instruments protects patients and the practice team alike.

3. Efficient practice workflow: Compared to other sterilisation methods, an autoclave ensures that instruments are quickly available again, which optimises work processes in podiatry.

However, not every autoclave for medical facilities is automatically suitable for podiatry. They are particularly important:

• Certified class B or S autoclaves in accordance with EN 13060 for maximum sterilisation safety tailored to your volume of instruments

• Compact but powerful devices that can be integrated into everyday practice routines

• Fast cycles for efficient instrument reprocessing without pause times

• Comprehensive service for maintenance and validation to ensure a smooth process without downtime in the podiatry practice

A high-quality autoclave for podiatry practices not only ensures safety, but also contributes to the professional image of the practice - because a high standard of hygiene strengthens patient confidence. Find out more about the right choice of autoclave in the following blog article.

The choice of the right autoclave for a podiatry practice depends largely on the risk classification of the instruments used. This classification is determined by the practice operator based on the design and use on the patient and is part of the hygiene plan. Correct categorisation not only ensures patient safety, but also compliance with legal regulations and efficient instrument reprocessing.

1. pre-classification according to area of application

Instruments are initially categorised according to their area of application:

• Non-critical instruments: Only touch intact skin. These instruments pose a low risk of infection.

• Semi-critical instruments: Come into contact with mucous membranes or pathologically altered skin. There is a medium risk of infection here.

• Critical instruments: Penetrate skin or mucous membranes or come into contact with blood, tissue or internal organs. These instruments have the highest risk of infection and require the strictest reprocessing requirements.

2. reclassification according to instrument design

In addition to the application-related classification, the design of the instruments is also taken into account. The suffix A, B or C stands for the following properties:

• A: No cavities or hard-to-reach areas. These rigid instruments do not have any increased reprocessing requirements.

• B: Have cavities or areas that are difficult to access, e.g. rough surfaces of cutters or joints of forceps. Here, targeted evacuation of the air is necessary before effective sterilisation can take place.

• C: Complex instruments with cavities that cannot be sterilised with steam. As these instruments are not thermostable, they are not used in podiatry.

Sterilisation in podiatry: the correct reprocessing cycle

Sterilisation is always carried out on the basis of risk classification. As it is often difficult to assess whether the skin is pathologically altered or not before treatment, non-critical and semi-critical instruments are treated in the same way. Therefore, semi-critical instruments must first be cleaned and disinfected in a thermal disinfector, for example. They can then either be released directly or sterilised without packaging. Critical instruments, on the other hand, also undergo thorough cleaning and disinfection, but must be sterilised wrapped to ensure their long-term sterility. Depending on the instrument design, either a class B or class S autoclave is used - find out which autoclave offers the best solution for you in the following section.

The requirements for an autoclave depend on the instruments used and the legal requirements. In podiatry, there are two main classes:

• Class B autoclaves: These devices are suitable for all types of instruments, including wrapped and unwrapped instruments with cavities. They use the fractionated vacuum process to ensure complete deaeration and sterilisation.

• Class S autoclaves: A good choice for less complex instruments without complicated hollow bodies. These devices are often less expensive, but offer less flexibility for sterilising complex instruments. However, modern class S autoclaves are also able to reliably sterilise joints and hinges of forceps and scissors.

For podiatry practices that also use critically classified instruments, class B autoclaves are usually the best choice in view of the increasing legal requirements due to their versatility and reliability.

One example of such an autoclave is the SteriHero Podo 18, which is specially designed to meet the requirements of podiatry. With a load capacity of up to 5 kg, fast cycle times and intuitive operation, it ensures a smooth day-to-day practice.

A high-performance autoclave is the key to achieving the highest standards of hygiene in your podiatry practice. By choosing the right device and consistently implementing the sterilization specifications, you can protect your patients, increase efficiency and meet legal requirements at the same time.