[…] F D E N T A L S U R G E O N S O F O N T A R I O • I f the repeat spore test is negative, and mechanical and chemical indicators demonstrate adequate processing, then the sterilizer may be put back into serviceb • I f the repeat spore test is positive, and all sterilization procedures have been performed correctly, then the sterilizer should remain out of service until it has been inspected, repaired and successfully rechallenged with BI tests in three consecutive empty chamber sterilization cyclesb In addition, all items from suspect loads dating back to the last negative BI should be recalled, to the extent possi- ble, and reprocessedb Storage Sterile and single-use disposable items should be stored in an enclosed space, such as closed or covered cabinetsb They should not be stored under sinks or in other locations where they might become wet and contaminatedb Storage practices for packaged sterilized instruments may be either date or event- relatedb Dating assists in the recall of instruments should concerns arise with the results of sterilization testsb Some health care facilities date every sterilized package and use shelf-life practices (ebgb "first in, first out")b Others use event-related practicesb The latter approach recognizes that the packaged instruments should remain sterile indefinitely, unless an event causes them to become contaminated (ebgb torn or wet packaging)b Packages containing sterile instruments should be inspected before use to verify barrier integrity and drynessb If packaging is compromised, the instruments should be cleaned, packaged and sterilized againb Cleaning, Disinfection and Sterilization of Patient Care Items IMPORTANT Critical and semi-critical instruments should be processed in a manner that will maintain sterility during storage. This includes ensuring that the integrity of the package is maintained. 3b I N F E...
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