Steps to Unwrap a Sterile Package

The contamination of medical supplies can cause the spread of deadly infectious pathogens, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, according to the website of the Centers for Disease Control. In the medical industry, sterile packages ensure that medical supplies and medications do not become contaminated by pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses. Proper unwrapping procedures of sterile packages can vary by institution, but all practices are designed to reduce incidences of contamination that would jeopardize patient health.

Preparation

• Regardless of whether medical workers use gloves, they should always wash their hands before unwrapping a sterile package, according to the Ohio State University Medical Center website. When putting on gloves, they should not touch the outer surface of the gloves with their bare hands. Workers should also wear a mask if instructed to use one and must sterilize all work surfaces. They must take care to not cough or sneeze on a sterile package to prevent contamination. Individuals should not handle sterile packages with wet hands, so they must keep their hands and the work area dry.

Paper

• Sterile packages usually come in a paper wrapper, but they may come sealed in a plastic tray or a plastic bag for extra protection. All wrappers contain a flap to open the parcel. Medical professionals should always pull out the first flap away from them to reduce the risk of germs contaminating the package. With a paper wrapper, they can then unwrap the left and right sides the package. Medical workers will then pull down the bottom flap, a process which forms a paper square with the sterile equipment resting in the center of the packaging.

Plastic

• If sterile medical supplies come in a plastic tray or bag, medical professionals must first open up the seal on the outside packaging. As with paper wrappers, they should open the plastic flap in the opposite direction they are facing. After opening the seal, they should pinch the top of the package inside the bag or tray and place the package on a sterile surface. They can then unwrap the package using the paper wrapper procedure mentioned in the previous step.

Warning

• Medical professionals should only unwrap sterile supplies by touching the outside of the package. In addition, they can touch up to one inch around the edges on the inside of the paper wrapper, according to the Ohio State University Medical Center. Touching the remainder of the inside of the sheet can compromise the integrity of the sterile field, especially if a worker does not wear latex gloves.