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INFECTION PREVENTION
from the floor, 5 inches from the ceiling (or 18 inches from a sprinkler head), and 2 inches from walls; and
• avoid storing packs in cabinets under sinks or anywhere else they
could become wet.1,3,4
If a pack falls or is dropped, inspect for damage and determine
whether the contents may have been broken. The Guideline for
Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities notes that, if a
package has been "heat-sealed in impervious plastic and the seal is
still intact, the package should be considered not contaminated. If
undamaged, items packaged in plastic need not be reprocessed."1
3. External indicator tape on wrapped packs changes color to indicate
appropriate temperatures have been achieved inside the sterilizer
chamber. Attaching this type of chemical indicator to each pack
ensures sterilization.
a. true
b. false
b. false
Indicator tape is commonly used, but it can't signal sterility inside a
pack. Therefore, your central sterile department should be placing
multi-parameter chemical indicators inside every sealed pack.
Preferably, these should be Class 4 or 5 indicators (indicator tapes or
labels are considered Class 1).5,6
Class 4 indicators react to 2 or more sterilization thresholds, such as
3 6
O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | N O V E M B E R 2012
