Yellowknife (Aug 22/03) - In the 19th Century the post-surgical mortality rate could be as high as 90 per cent due in large part to unsterile conditions.

Fortunately, things are different now. To make sure there are no chances of contamination during a surgery all equipment undergoes an extremely thorough sterilization process.

At the Stanton Territorial Hospital the sterilization process takes place every day of the week from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

A dumbwaiter from the operating room brings down a cart of used surgical tools into the "dirty" side of the processing area.

"They're scrubbed of any residue," said Linda Turner, manager of materials.

The equipment goes through a washer disinfector into the "clean" side of the area.

Each worker has to wear scrubs, a cotton gown and paper fabric hat and shoes.

One processing technician, Vu Giang, is in charge of setting up the trays or packs in preparation for the steam sterilizer.

He makes sure to clamp both ends of each sealed instrument box housing a tray.

"It's predetermined what needs to be set up," said Turner, standing next to kits needed for circumcision and dental surgery.

The processors know a week in advance what trays every surgery will require.

"Each doctor has a preference for what equipment is used," said Pru Fernandez, supervisor of processing.

The set-ups are put on a cart that is inserted into one of three sterilizers. Every cart used gets washed daily.

Steam sterilizers do their jobs within four minutes by reaching temperatures of 132 C.

It only takes twenty minutes for the equipment to be dried.

All equipment that is heat sensitive, such as rubber, masks and endoscopes, go into the gas sterilizer, Fernandez said.

The gas sterilizer takes an hour to finish sterilizing and then spends 12 hours exhausting.

Each sterilizer has been in the hospital since it was built in 1988. They were upgraded during the past two years.

"They get regular preventative maintenance," Turner said.

There are numerous set-ups prepared for all types of surgery. "A dumbwaiter takes the trays to the clean operating room area," she said. "It reduces the chance of contamination."

Each tray is sterile until opened in the operating room.

"If the clamp is broken, you know the tray is not sterile," Turner said. "Everything is treated as if it's contaminated."