4 ATOMO Dental High Quality Dental Supplies -- Instruction on how to use a self-adhesive sterilization pouch

Instruction on how to use a self-adhesive sterilization pouch

I went to an office today and witnessed someone tripping really hard. It was not her feet that she was tripping over; it was infection control.

Do not fold over to fit item, or fold on crease or perforation.

Infection control is a series of steps that we must perform to ensure the safety of our staff and clients. When we do not follow those steps precisely, we might as well not follow those steps at all. The step being tripped on was a simple self-adhesive sterilization bag. Sterilization pouches are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and are a medical device. The 2008 Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines reminded us that these devices "must allow penetration of the sterilant, provide protection against contact contamination during handling, provide an effective barrier to microbial penetration, and maintain the sterility of the processed item after sterilization."

Improper gap.

The method of using them involves a series of steps, starting with the sterilization room:

Step one: Fold the perforation back and crease with the protective strip still in place. Fold back into place.
Step two: Write the date and time, or load number, on the outside of the pouch, with a lead–free pencil or nontoxic indelible ink pen.1 This will allow you to pull the load easily if you receive a failed load report. Record the load type, date, and number in your sterilization notebook.2
Step three: While wearing utility gloves and personal protective equipment, load the dried, debris-free instruments (that have been run through the sonic cleaner) into the pouch. Be sure not to overfill the bag. It should be filled only to 3/4 of its volume. Make sure the instruments do not pierce the package. Choose the right size bag for the item. Do not over fill or fold for smaller items. The pouch is correctly sealed when the closure strip adheres without any folds or gaps.
Step four: Expel excess air from the package.
Step five: Remove the strip from the adhesive, fold at perforated line to form a tight seal. Press the adhesive together by running the edge of spatula or flat item across the area. Allow the adhesive to adhere to 50% to be on paper and 50% to be on plastic, or follow the validation marks on the pouch. Do not fold the adhesive past the perforation. Adhesive not touching the right amount of paper and plastic will not create an airtight seal.

The adhesive strip is a vital part of the process. It creates a seal after the material has expanded and

The fold line is in the wrong place. Always fold on the perforation.

contracted. A properly designed pouch allows for the 50% coverage of paper and 50% coverage of plastic with the adhesive.

An adequate width of adhesive material with a clean perforated fold allows for a clean, uniform fold and seal, which assures safe storage of the sterilized item and does not allow air and pathogens to enter the item.

Companies now make validation marks on the package to ensure you are closing it properly. Make sure you have the perforation line folded and lined up before removing the adhesive strip.

Step six: Store filled packages on the dirty side of the sterilization area until ready to process.

Note:

Do not put your gloves on until you have opened the pouch. Contaminates from the outside of the package can contaminate your gloves. When you touch the instruments with the gloves, you can cross-contaminate.

Do not put the outside of the package on top of the instruments or on the tray. The outside of the package has been exposed to contaminate and is not sterile.

As you open the pouch, allow the instruments to "drop" onto the tray so that they are not contaminated by the outside of the package.

Each of us has a responsibility to keep our patients and staff safe. Using the FDA-approved device properly step by step allows all of us to avoid "tripping" and putting everyone at risk.

Reference: ATOMO Dental Multi-parameter Self-sealing Sterilization Pouches

Please contact ATOMO Dental for more detailed information:

1241 Quarry Lane #125
Pleasanton, CA 94566
Phone: 925-484-1686
Toll free: 866-980-0988
Fax: 866-980-0988
Email: support@atomodental.com