sterilization wrapper
stair-uh-lih-ZAY-shun RAP-er noun
A sheet of woven or nonwoven material folded around an instrument set or item so the sterilant gets in and germs stay out afterward.
- Also written
- sterilization wrappers, sterilization wrap, sterilization wraps, sterile wrapper, sterile wrappers, woven wrapper, nonwoven wrapper, wrapper, wrappers
What it means
Woven (reusable) wrappers are cotton or cotton-polyester with at least 140 threads per square inch, usually two layers sewn together; they are laundered after each use, inspected over a light table and patched with heat-sealed patches, and repeated laundering slowly weakens the barrier. Nonwoven wrappers of bonded synthetic fibers are used once. Items are wrapped by the sequential wrapsih-KWEN-shul RAPWrapping an item for sterilization in two separate wraps, one after the other, so it is a package inside a package.Full entry or simultaneous wrapsy-mul-TAY-nee-us RAPWrapping an item for sterilization once in a double-layer sheet whose two layers are bonded at the edges.Full entry method, with an envelope foldEN-vuh-lohp fohldA way of wrapping an item for sterilization with the item set diagonally on the wrap and the corners folded over one at a time.Full entry or a square foldSKWAIR fohldA way of wrapping a large pack or tray for sterilization with the item set square to the wrap's edges and each edge folded over in turn.Full entry , snug but not so tight that the sterilant cannot reach the contents, and sealed with indicator tape, never pins, staples or clips. Once opened, the inside of the wrapper is a sterile surface, except its outer edge.
For the nurse
Check every wrapper for holes, tears, water marks and an unchanged indicator before opening. A woven wrapper that falls to the floor is contaminated; a sealed dust cover is labeled as one so nobody mistakes it for a sterile wrapper.
Words that go with it
Read these next: they turn up in the same notes, orders and questions.
sih-KWEN-shul RAPWrapping an item for sterilization in two separate wraps, one after the other, so it is a package inside a package.
simultaneous wrapsy-mul-TAY-nee-us RAPWrapping an item for sterilization once in a double-layer sheet whose two layers are bonded at the edges.
envelope foldEN-vuh-lohp fohldA way of wrapping an item for sterilization with the item set diagonally on the wrap and the corners folded over one at a time.
square foldSKWAIR fohldA way of wrapping a large pack or tray for sterilization with the item set square to the wrap's edges and each edge folded over in turn.
peel pouchPEEL powchA see-through sterilization package with one plastic side and one side of paper or Tyvek, sealed at the edges and peeled open.
rigid containerRIJ-id kun-TAY-nerA reusable metal or plastic box with a lid and filters or valves, used to package an instrument set for sterilization.
dust coverDUST KUV-erA sealed plastic bag put over a sterile package once it is cool and dry, to protect a seldom-used pack from dust and handling.
package integrityPAK-ij in-TEG-rih-teeThe whole, undamaged state of a sterile package's wrapper, seals, locks and dust cover, checked before the package is opened.
A client’s heart rate is 128 beats per minute an hour after surgery. Which finding is the most likely cause of the tachycardia?
tak-ih-KAR-dee-uhA heart rate faster than normal; in an adult, more than 100 beats per minute.
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