What action should be taken with used instruments at the end of the day?

• A. Dispose of Used Instruments in the Trash
• B. Clean the Instruments
• C. Sterilize All Instruments Immediately
• D. Place Used Instruments in a Drawer

Answer: (B)

Cleaning the instruments is essential because it removes blood, tissue, and other debris that can protect microbes and interfere with later sterilization. This decontamination step reduces the bioburden and makes the subsequent sterilization process effective and reliable. After cleaning, instruments can be sterilized according to the facility’s protocol. It’s unsafe to throw used instruments in the trash or stash them in a drawer, and sterilizing them immediately isn’t correct if they haven’t been cleaned first, since dirty instruments won’t sterilize properly and can spread contamination.