sterile labels new JCAHO requirement

[debbie]

I am guessing with the new Joint Commission standards that I am not the only one being asked to sterilize labels.

I have found a company that will pre-print labels and sterilize them with a pen so that patient information can be added at a sterile field. Departments requesting this are Radiology and the Womens center.

I know that for years there has been conflict as to putting count sheets into sterile wraps and containers due to ink transfer and paper conditions.

With the rising cost of healthcare and the pressure on all to become more cost effective my question to anyone who can help is this.

If I get pre-printed labels from a company is there any reason I can not put them in a peel pouch and autoclave them???? We can buy sterile skin marking pens at a reasonable cost and just pull separate.

We use pre-printed labels all the time to mark implants, load/lot # stickers, missing instruments, lay pan flat.

Am I missing something? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[kmrn]

We are getting labels built into our surgical packs, so this helps. When we need additional labels, or when they are not in the packs, we use a sterile skin marker that has blank labels in the package with it.
Kathy

[sonny1388]

It also may be just as easy, and perhaps even just as cost effective to buy sterile labels from the company that you get your preprinted labels from. I just got a pretty extensive label catalog faxed to me from St. John's, and we are currently getting sterile, preprinted labels from Veriad.

[SHIRLEEN VANOCKER]

In relation to this subject, is it safe and/or appropriate to place count sheets inside sterile sets, or between wrappers?

[Harvey Johnson]

We also have sterile labels included in our custom packs.
As for count sheets, we place them inside a glassine envelope, (the same type we use for misc forceps etc) inside the tray.
Others have used a lint free blue towel.
This keeps the paper and ink away from the instruments, we have not had any issues using this method.