Hazards of Wet Package

Hazards of wet package

A sterilizer wet package is the result of a phenomenon that moisture appears inside or outside the sterilization package for various reasons during the sterilization process. Wet package should not be stored or distributed; causes should be analyzed and improvements made. (From Operating Specifications for Cleaning, Disinfection and Sterilization Technology WS 310.2-2016)

The phenomenon of wet package poses significant potential hazards to medical safety and patient health, primarily manifested in the following aspects:

1. Wet package can lead to bacterial growth during storage

    A humid environment facilitates the proliferation of bacteria.

Wet package can weaken the barrier effect of packaging materials against bacteria and viruses, allowing for regrowth of bacteria within the packaged items and increasing the risk of infection.

2. Affecting the compliance of clinical operations

    During regulatory inspections of clinics, wet package are a key focus of attention. Wet package can affect the compliance of clinics.

3. Damage to high-value precision dental instruments

    The wet package may cause damage or corrosion to high-value precision dental instruments, shortening their lifespan and increasing the operational costs of clinics. For example, the bearings inside a dental handpiece can rust due to prolonged exposure to wet conditions, affecting its rotation speed, generating noise, accelerating bearing aging, and shortening the lifespan of the instrument.

4. Reducing work efficiency and increasing labor costs

    The wet package require special handling, such as additional drying steps, and sometimes also need to be re-sterilized, reducing work efficiency and increasing labor costs.