{"id":3065,"date":"2019-11-21T07:15:19","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T07:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/az.research.umich.edu\/animalcare\/document\/guidelines-storage-sterile-items\/"},"modified":"2025-02-17T15:33:33","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T15:33:33","slug":"guidelines-storage-sterile-items","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/az.research.umich.edu\/animalcare\/guidelines\/guidelines-storage-sterile-items\/","title":{"rendered":"Guidelines for the Storage of Sterile Items"},"template":"","categories":[5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19],"tags":[],"content-type":[39],"topic":[],"update-type":[],"class_list":["post-3065","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","category-cats","category-chickens-avian","category-cows","category-dogs","category-ferrets","category-fish-amphibians-and-reptiles","category-guinea-pigs","category-hamsters","category-mice","category-other-rodents","category-primates","category-rabbits","category-rats","category-sheep","category-swine","content-type-guidelines"],"acf":{"use_legacy_editor":true,"updated_date":"2024-05-31 00:00:00","update_notice":true,"author":"Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine","summary":"To establish procedures for the appropriate handling and storage of sterile items.","button_links":null,"related_content":[2884,3516,3056,3055,2986],"legacy_path":"guidelines-storage-sterile-items","legacy_node_id":1536,"legacy_related_nids":"","legacy_content_section":[{"legacy_section_type":"heading","legacy_heading":"Responsibility","legacy_subheading":"","legacy_section_text":"","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"text_area","legacy_heading":"","legacy_subheading":"","legacy_section_text":"
    \r\n\t
  1. Veterinary Personnel<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Investigative Personnel<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"heading","legacy_heading":"Glossary Definitions","legacy_subheading":"","legacy_section_text":"","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"glossary_terms","legacy_heading":"","legacy_subheading":"","legacy_section_text":"","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":[2780,2788,2789],"legacy_glossary_nids":"1506, 1534, 1535","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"heading","legacy_heading":"Procedures","legacy_subheading":"","legacy_section_text":"","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"text_area_with_subheading","legacy_heading":"","legacy_subheading":"1. Packaging","legacy_section_text":"
      \r\n\t
    1. Ensure that packaging materials are compatible with the sterilization process being used.<\/li>\r\n\t
    2. Ensure that packaging is sufficiently strong to resist punctures and tears to provide a barrier to microorganisms and moisture.<\/li>\r\n\t
    3. Place a new sterilization indicator inside the package\/pack. Ensure sterilization indicator is appropriate for the type of sterilization being performed.<\/li>\r\n\t
    4. Properly seal package\/pack. Ensure there are no gaps or puckers when sealing.\r\n\t
        \r\n\t\t
      1. Use appropriate indicator tape<\/li>\r\n\t\t
      2. Self-seal pouch(es)<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ol>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t
      3. Label package with the date of sterilization (The date is used for stock rotation purposes, to ensure usage of oldest stock first.)<\/li>\r\n\t
      4. Sterilize               <\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"text_area_with_subheading","legacy_heading":"","legacy_subheading":"2. Storage of Sterile Supplies","legacy_section_text":"
          \r\n\t
        1. Ensure storage area is:\r\n\t
            \r\n\t\t
          1. In well-ventilated area<\/li>\r\n\t\t
          2. Free of airborne and surface dust<\/li>\r\n\t\t
          3. Protected against moisture, insects, temperature, and humidity extremes<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ol>\r\n\t<\/li>\r\n\t
          4. Items remain sterile indefinitely unless the package becomes wet, punctured, torn, seal is broken, or is damaged in some other way; or the process monitor is questionable. <\/li>\r\n\t
          5. For commercially prepared sterile items with an established expiration date, follow manufacturer-recommended expiration dates.<\/li>\r\n\t
          6. Do not use any item suspected of being compromised.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"text_area_with_subheading","legacy_heading":"","legacy_subheading":"3. Maintenance of Sterilized Supplies","legacy_section_text":"
              \r\n\t
            1. Utilize on a first in\/first out basis to ensure usage of oldest stock first.<\/li>\r\n\t
            2. If at any point sterility and\/or barrier is compromised (pack becomes wet, punctured, torn, seal is broken, or is damaged in some other way, or the process monitor is questionable) the package\/pack will need to be repackaged and reprocessed.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"heading","legacy_heading":"References","legacy_subheading":"","legacy_section_text":"","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null},{"legacy_section_type":"text_area","legacy_heading":"","legacy_subheading":"","legacy_section_text":"
                \r\n\t
              1. Butt WE, Bradley DV, Jr., Mayhew RB, Schwartz RS. Evaluation of the shelf life of sterile instrument packs. Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. 1991;72:650-4.<\/li>\r\n\t
              2. Webster J, Lloyd W, Ho P, Burridge C, George N. Rethinking sterilization practices: Evidence for event-related outdating. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2003;24:622-4.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>","legacy_media_position":"","legacy_media_file":"","legacy_media_url":"","legacy_glossary_term":"","legacy_glossary_nids":"","legacy_resource":"","legacy_resource_nids":"","legacy_buttons":null}],"update_notice_type":[51,52,53],"update_notice_start":"2024-06-10 21:00:00","update_notice_end":"2024-09-10 21:00:00","update_notice_text_blocks":[{"update_notice_text":"

                Summary of Changes<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\r\n\r\n

                This document has gone through minimal content changes:<\/p>\r\n\r\n