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Unwrapped (immediate-use) sterilization
Also called: flash sterilization, unwrapped cycle
Sterilizing items without packaging, only for immediate use.
Some cycles sterilize instruments unwrapped. CDC limits this to clean, dry instruments, with mechanical and chemical monitoring each cycle, and the items carried aseptically to the chair and used right away. Critical instruments must never be stored unwrapped, and implants should never go through an unwrapped cycle.
What you do
- Place a chemical indicator in the tray or cassette with the unwrapped items.
Safety and care
- Items may come out hot and wet; avoid burns and keep them from getting contaminated on the way to the chair.
Related
Sources: CDC. Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003. MMWR 2003;52(RR-17)