double bagging of instruments

[Romaine Huggett]

OFFICIAL

Dear all,

We have recently inspected a podiatry practice that double bags their nail surgery equipment. This isn’t a common practice in ACT office based practices, so I am calling on your knowledge with advice what recommendations I can make about this practice to ensure instruments are sterilised correctly.

I believe that two different bag sizes should be used (with inner one smaller than the outer) with the paper side of the inner on the paper side of the outer and to limit any folding (if required) of the inner bag to a third.

Do you have any further recommendations?

Kind regards,

Romaine Huggett |Public Health Officer|Infection Control Manager
romaine.huggett@act.gov.au
Health Protection Service | Population Health Division | ACT Health Directorate
25 Mulley Street, Holder ACT 2611|Locked Bag 5005, Weston Creek ACT 2611
health.act.gov.au

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[Michael Wishart]

Michael Wishart
Infection Control Coordinator
St Vincent's Private Hospital Northside & St Vincent's Private Hospital Brisbane
Brisbane, QLD
michael.wishart@svha.org.au

[Romaine Huggett]

OFFICIAL

Thanks for your replies Megan & Michael

I questioned the need for the double bagging, as other podiatry practices do not do this for their nail surgery kits. They stated it was the personal preference of the podiatrist to maintain a sterile field, with their assistant opening the outer layer for the podiatrist, with the podiatrist taking the inner layer. I don’t recall if this specific podiatrist uses sterile gloves while doing this, but other podiatry practices do wear sterile gloves for nail surgery. The packs are reasonably heavy, and could be prone to perforations, but I don’t believe this is the reason they double bag.

Kind regards,

Romaine Huggett |Public Health Officer|Infection Control Manager
romaine.huggett@act.gov.au
Health Protection Service | Population Health Division | ACT Health Directorate
25 Mulley Street, Holder ACT 2611|Locked Bag 5005, Weston Creek ACT 2611
health.act.gov.au

[ACTH Email signature Values]

Hi Romaine

I have to ask…. why are they double bagging their instruments? Is it because of tearing or perforation of packaging? There are other, more practical and less expensive, ways to prevent perforation of packaging.

The only items we double bag in our hospital are items with multiple pieces that are required to be taken with sterile gloves onto a sterile field. Is that why they are doing this?

I am not sure that double bagging appropriately (ie in a way that does not impede steam sterilisation of the contents) is an issue, but it is certainly an increased cost, and in my view, possibly unnecessary in this instance.

Cheers
Michael

Sent from my Galaxy

——– Original message ——–

OFFICIAL

Dear all,

We have recently inspected a podiatry practice that double bags their nail surgery equipment. This isn’t a common practice in ACT office based practices, so I am calling on your knowledge with advice what recommendations I can make about this practice to ensure instruments are sterilised correctly.

I believe that two different bag sizes should be used (with inner one smaller than the outer) with the paper side of the inner on the paper side of the outer and to limit any folding (if required) of the inner bag to a third.

Do you have any further recommendations?

Kind regards,

Romaine Huggett |Public Health Officer|Infection Control Manager
romaine.huggett@act.gov.au
Health Protection Service | Population Health Division | ACT Health Directorate
25 Mulley Street, Holder ACT 2611|Locked Bag 5005, Weston Creek ACT 2611
health.act.gov.au

[ACTH Email signature Values]

———————————————————————–
This email, and any attachments, may be confidential and also privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete all copies of this transmission along with any attachments immediately. You should not copy or use it for any purpose, nor disclose its contents to any other person.
———————————————————————–
MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to acipclist@acipc.org.au

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MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

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MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

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