MDRAO Sterile Storage, Handling, and Distribution 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which labeling information is considered essential on every sterile package at the point of distribution?
- Item name, sterilization date or lot number, and expiry/use-by information (Correct answer)
- Item name and purchase price only
- Weight of the contents and sterilizer chamber number
- Color code of the department and shelf location
Correct answer: Item name, sterilization date or lot number, and expiry/use-by information
Sterile packages must be labeled with item identification, lot/sterilization date for traceability, and expiry information to ensure accountability.
Question 2: A sterile instrument set is inadvertently left on a non-sterile counter in the OR corridor. What should staff do?
- Remove it from service and return it for reprocessing (Correct answer)
- Return it to the sterile storage room without reprocessing
- Cover it with a sterile drape and continue using it
- Wipe the outer package with a disinfectant and return to stock
Correct answer: Remove it from service and return it for reprocessing
Contact with a non-sterile surface is a compromising event requiring the item to be removed from service and reprocessed.
Question 3: When a power failure disrupts climate control in the sterile storage area for several hours, what should the sterile processing department do?
- Assess environmental conditions and quarantine potentially compromised stock pending review (Correct answer)
- Continue distribution of stock since packages protect contents
- Re-sterilize all items in the room as a precaution
- Document the event but continue normal operations
Correct answer: Assess environmental conditions and quarantine potentially compromised stock pending review
Prolonged loss of climate control may cause humidity or temperature excursions that compromise packaging; stock must be assessed and possibly quarantined.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of using closed shelving or dust covers in satellite sterile storage locations on nursing units?
- To protect sterile packages from dust, moisture, and handling contamination (Correct answer)
- To prevent unauthorized personnel from seeing inventory levels
- To reduce the visual clutter in patient care areas
- To maintain a warmer microenvironment for instrument longevity
Correct answer: To protect sterile packages from dust, moisture, and handling contamination
Closed shelving or dust covers in satellite storage protect packages from the higher traffic, dust, and humidity found in nursing unit environments.
Question 5: Which sterile processing standard specifically addresses storage requirements for sterilized items in Canadian healthcare facilities?
- CSA Z8000 (Correct answer)
- ISO 11135
- ANSI/AAMI ST79
- EN 868
Correct answer: CSA Z8000
CSA Z8000 is the Canadian standard for processing of reusable medical devices and includes specific guidance on sterile storage conditions.
Question 6: When sterile supplies are delivered to a clinical unit, nursing staff should:
- Inspect packages for integrity before accepting and storing them (Correct answer)
- Place them directly in storage without inspection to save time
- Return them to sterile processing for re-inspection before use
- Accept delivery and inspect only when the item is about to be used
Correct answer: Inspect packages for integrity before accepting and storing them
Clinical staff receiving sterile supplies are the last line of defense and must inspect packaging integrity before accepting items into unit stock.
Question 7: What is the consequence of storing sterile items too close to exterior walls or windows in a storage room?
- Condensation from temperature differentials can wet packages and compromise sterility (Correct answer)
- Items will become overheated from solar radiation
- Chemical indicators will falsely change color due to light exposure
- Metal instruments will corrode due to electromagnetic interference
Correct answer: Condensation from temperature differentials can wet packages and compromise sterility
Cold exterior walls and windows create temperature differentials that can cause condensation on packages stored nearby, compromising sterile barriers.
MDRAO Sterile Storage, Handling, and Distribution 5
Which labeling information is considered essential on every sterile package at the point of distribution?