The epidural anesthetic injection is a known solution to chronic pain caused by inflamed spinal nerves. Administration of epidural anesthetic injection to affected patients helps them resume their normal activities. This medication may temporarily relieve pain for several days to months. Unfortunately, it comes with a risk of contamination when the compounded medicine will be injected into the epidural space, due to the absence of an immune system in our spine. There were several cases where patients died from fatal meningitis after the occurrence of an infection of the cerebrospinal fluid succeeding a spinal nerve root anesthetic injection.
To protect the patient, maintaining sterility of the compound medicine is critical.
This non-hazardous sterile compounding needs to be performed in accordance with USP <797>. The Primary Engineering Control (PEC) can be a laminar flow cabinet, placed inside ISO Class 7 or cleaner cleanroom, with ISO Class 8 or cleaner anteroom.
Using a cleaner laminar flow cabinet with an ISO Class 3 work zone instead of ISO Class 5, paired with an ISO Class 5 cleanroom, will help improve the sterility of the compounded medicine.
Because there is no immune system inside our cerebrospinal fluid, compounding facilities should not take any chances. Esco laminar flow cabinets are equipped with advanced contamination control features:
ULPA Filter
Provides ISO Class 3 work zone instead of ISO Class 5 work zone provided by conventional laminar flow cabinets with a traditional HEPA filter.
Antimicrobial Powder Coat
Exterior and inside the plenum are coated with Esco Isocide™ to further reduce contamination.
Easy-to-clean Workzone
It doesn’t have a return air plenum where molds can grow. The tray is designed to contain spills and prevent dripping.
Low Noise Level
The quietest in the market at only 52.4 dBA. It uses an advanced plenum design to reduce blower rpm and noise. This improves concentration during the critical work of compounding sterile medicine.
Airstream® Gen 3 Horizontal Laminar Flow Cabinet
Esco's laminar airflow cabinet is a product of robust engineering combined with strategic ergonomic design. It provides long-term reliability and ultimate user comfort making it ideal for non-hazardous applications that need a sterile environment.
Esco Lifesciences is a world-leading life science company with a diversified portfolio and sales in over 100 countries. As a manufacturer of laboratory and biopharma equipment, and IVF medical devices, Esco offers tailored solutions that fit the needs of laboratories in various industries.
This post is related to:
Compounding: USP <797> & <800> Sterile Resources, Compliance, Technology
