Other considerations
Of course, containers take up more room than blue wrap, and stor-
age space is bound to be a challenge for some. You also need to
make sure your trays can safely contain delicate instruments without
having them bounce around and bang into each other. That's why it's
essential to follow manufacturers' instructions: the sterilizer manu-
facturer, the instrument manufacturer and the container manufactur-
er. Visual inspection is important, too. Make sure the lid fits securely
and that there are no cracks or breakages.
How can you be sure rigid containers are still doing the job as they
age? Ms. Horvath recommends having a routine schedule in which
you test at least one size of each container each year. Use 5 biological
indicators: one in each corner, plus one in the center, hanging from
the lid. If it's a double-layer container, use 8 biologicals, plus one in
the center. Test with both a small load and a full load. Small loads are
a more difficult challenge, because the steam has more choices where
to go.
There are several container manufacturers to choose among. It's a
pretty competitive market. Do a cost analysis. Check to see whether
the manufacturer has a good track record. What kinds of filters do
their containers require? Some have reusable filters, which is another
potential cost saving.
Above all, you need to know you're protecting your expensive sur-
gical instruments as well as possible, and more and more evidence
is showing that rigid containers provide more protection than wrap.
OSM
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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 | February 2015
