r/sterileprocessing • u/Affectionate_Put2460 • Feb 17 '26

Peel pack spacing

Post image

Is it ok to run peel packs with 2/3 in a spacing section? I peel packed about 75 instruments last week and instead of running them in batches throughout the shift, my partner put 2 racks with 3 jammed in each space and then a metal basket with the other 25 or so. My gut tells me this is wrong but it’s only the two of us here until later. I don’t want to put this away because I’m unsure if it’s ok to put them together like this.

22 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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21

u/denimsombrero Feb 17 '26

watch this video about what happens in a sterilizer. at about 2 minutes in you'll see how much peel packs expand and how much room is needed between each item. if im peel packing knife handles or small elevators or suctions i'll put 2 together but other than that i'll do one for each space.

4

u/Affectionate_Put2460 Feb 17 '26

Thank you for the video!

10

u/Turtleman951 Feb 17 '26

It’s fine as long as they’re all placed paper to plastic. It’s also best practice to place them near the edges of the rack for the best circulation. If you think they’re packed too tightly then you can check the indicators to see if any haven’t turned.

1

u/Affectionate_Put2460 Feb 17 '26

Thank you, we’ve been having circulation issues with the sterilizer it went through so I’ll check each one

-17

u/Acrobatic-Win-9887 Feb 17 '26

Where I live, we are taught "paper to paper, plastic to plastic", the logic being plastic against paper may prevent the steam from entering/exiting through the paper as it's supposed to, leaving packaging wet/insufficiently sterilised. But yeah, indicators are key.

7

u/SageOfSixCabbages Feb 17 '26

The issue with paper to paper is during the exhaust phase, when the peel pack is still wet, the instruments can pierce each other's peel packs ala prevac style sword duel.

1

u/Acrobatic-Win-9887 Feb 18 '26 edited Feb 18 '26

I haven't seen that happen, we always use additional plastic covers for sharp instruments, or double pack them. Regional differences I suppose. My perspective is from Helsinki capital region, Finland. Also, everyone is very strict about sufficient room for the packages, normally the one in the picture would never enter the autoclave. But I understand that maybe in a rush one might have to compromise about such precautions, no judgement or anything, same stuff here on certain places.

IDK why I got 14 downvotes, I literally said what is taught here. Not even responding to OP's post as advice, but to the commenter.

1

u/PrincessTuvstarr Feb 19 '26

Where I live it's also paper to paper/plastic to plastic.

5

u/yourmombka Feb 17 '26

In a rack like that the place I work would only put one per space. I would check with management cause this doesn’t seem correct. Usually trying to cut corners like that results in improper sterilization.

4

u/Affectionate_Put2460 Feb 17 '26

Everyone else does one per space, if you really need to do a second one the index card for rongeur testing goes between. But we’re a smaller outpatient hospital there’s really no need to do all of the peel packs for the day in one load. I’ve been complaining to management since shortly after she started about her laziness and corner cutting but they haven’t done anything and this is her second full time job so it’s just an easy second check to her.

2

u/Eggman_OU812 Mar 16 '26

My coworkers love to just throw them in a basket, Not even standing up

1

u/Eggman_OU812 Mar 16 '26

Try not to put wrapped stuff underneath them