Triple-wrapped Transport Swabs
and Specimen Collection Devices.

Great efforts are being made by healthcare professionals everywhere to reduce and if possible eliminate the risk of hospital acquired infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile. Nowhere is this more important than in the operating theatre, where every possible step is taken to ensure an environment that is as near sterile as possible to prevent surgical site infections.

In addition to environmental considerations, and personnel, controls have to be in place to allow for the safe handling of surgical instruments and consumables. Similar precautions are, of course, also required in pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

Medical Wire produces a range of "theatre-packed" specimen collection devices, all triple-wrapped, so that they can be handled in the operating theatre or sterile area without compromising sterility.

Triple-wrapping means that addition to the immediate individual wrapping - normally a peel pouch - there are an additional two outer layers of strong polythene packaging. The product is sterilised complete with the outer layers by irradiation. When required for use, the outer packaging is removed, and the inner packaging is sterile for handling. This can be done a couple of times as items are passed from stores to sterile supplies to theatre or sterile production unit.

Products available in this format include:

• theatre-packed transport swabs (Transwab® with plain medium or charcoal medium - MW175C / MW175P)
  
• theatre-packed dry swabs (Hospiswab® with albumin coated bud - MW120)
  
• theatre-packed specimen container for biopsy (Polycon® 60ml - MW271T)
  
• Steriswab™ (premoistened swab for sampling sterile area - MW720)
  
• Polywipes™ (premoistened sponge swabs for infection control monitoring - MW729)
  
• Sterikit™ (a complete triple-wrapped indicator swab kit for sterility monitoring - MW750)
  

Transwab® transport swabs are M40¹-compliant.

For further details check www.mwe.co.uk .

Reference:
1 M40: CLSI M40-A Quality Control of Microbiological Transport Systems; Approved Standard