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We are experiencing longer days and warmer weather, so we now have
a chance to do all the outdoor activities. There always seems to be so much to do in too little time. Before you know it, Summer is over.
The decontam area can feel that way on a daily basis. Oftentimes,
work can be very busy and you don't always have the staff or resources to keep up with the workload. When this happens, surgical instruments don't get reprocessed right away. This leaves time for blood and other soils to dry on the instruments, and cleaning
them becomes a tougher task. Instrument manufacturers, AAMI, AORN and others generally recommend that decontamination of instruments begin as soon as possible so that organic soils, particularly blood, do not dry. But often this is not possible (this is sometimes
called delayed reprocessing).
The Humipak™ consists of a layer of highly absorbent material sandwiched
between two layers of waterproof film. To use, place individual instruments, or an entire instrument tray, inside the Humipak™, add the specified amount of water to the absorbent layer, and seal with the peel-away adhesive strip. This creates a water tight,
moist atmosphere that will prevent organics from drying over an extended period of time. Further, the transparent film allows observation of the contents and a list of contents and instructions can be written directly onto the film. Testing has demonstrated
that items will remain moist for up to three days, depending upon the type of instruments and the exact composition of the residue.
Matt Smith
Senior Manager of Marketing
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