Shelf-lives of laundered cotton wrapped sterile surgical instrument packs

Abstract

Sterile surgical instruments, especially those wrapped with cotton cloth, must be resterilized when they are not used in a certain period of time. The period, called shelf-life, varies depending on each organization; however, it is 14 days in the operating room at Thammasat hospital, Pathumthani. The cotton laundry is a factor that affects this period. This study compares the shelf-lives of numerous laundered cotton cloth wrapped sterile packs kept in a closed cabinet to those on open shelves and identifies the contaminating microorganisms on the sterile packs. The experiments were conducted by preparing autoclaved sterile packs with gauzes on a stainless steel tray. The wrapped cotton cloths were laundered 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 times. The sterile and dry packs were kept in a closed cabinet and an equal number kept on open shelves. They were sampled to determine the contamination at set time periods. The results showed that there was only inconsistent contamination in the 30 and 50 times laundered cotton cloth wrapped packs. Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus spp. were identified as the contaminants. It is believed that the contamination might occur during handling by the cleaning staff. So, an arrangement and prioritization of use should be implemented to reduce contamination which will extend the shelf-life to at least 60 days. The cotton cloths can be laundered at least 50 times when they are properly prepared after sustaining a tear.