Central sterile services department: screening of automated cleaning in liposuction cannulae.

[OBJECTIVE] To evaluate the effectiveness of automated cleaning of 4 mm liposuction cannulas using ultrasonic washer machine, screening for dirt using a cannulate microscope device and the screening of viable strains of Staphylococcus aureus, with microbiological analysis.

[METHOD] Experimental study with 14 units of 4 mm liposuction cannulas performed at the Central Sterile Services Department and at the Microbiology Laboratory of a Hospital Complex, located in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, from October 2018 to April 2019.

[RESULTS] Of the 14 liposuction cannulas that constituted the sample, 42.9% remained dirty despite automated cleaning, and all of them showed recovery of viable microrganisms in the microbiological laboratory.

[CONCLUSION] The study showed that it is not possible to ensure the cleaning efficacy of automated cleaning of 4 mm liposuction cannulas, especially due to the conformation of the material with internal spaces with accumulation of dirt.