Transport of Sterile Reusable Medical Devices in the Tropics

Mrs Mandy Davidson¹

¹Townsville Hospital

My organisation is moving to centralised reprocessing. We are in a tropical climate where outside temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius and 80% relative humidity for 7 months of the year or more.

There is a requirement to transport sterile reusable medical devices (RMDs) for distances of 500 plus kilometres. Most are within 150 kilometres. This can take from 2 to 8 hours. Transport is by road or air.

Storage requirements have very strict parameters. What is the risk or likelihood of sterile barrier system failure if these conditions are breeched during transport?

I plan to explore the conditions RMDs are exposed to during transport. There is limited evidence available about transport requirements, particularly in tropical climates.

I am interested in discussing how to determine the best method of ensuring the RMDs maintain their sterility and integrity during transport.