I am often troubled by this when checking expiry dates on items at work and having to discard them. If the package is intact, with no damage, and the item has been stored properly eg no exposure to sunlight, water or condensation , then the item is deemed sterile.
As long as the item does not deteriorate eg latex and rubber can breakdown then there is no use-by date. The item is still sterile until opened. This does not apply to medications, antiseptics or lotions. They will have a use by date 3. Stuff like bandaids and stretchy bandages can begin to deteriorate over time. They will remain sterile subject to the above conditions, but they may not be very sticky or stretchy.
Also, please put in the comments any details of groups or organisations you know who could use out of date first aid supplies so that we can hook people up and redirect as much waste as possible.
Thanks in advance. Like Like. Like Liked by 2 people. Great to know Helen! If you are able to, feel free to list the details of any places that people can donate stuff to. As a former registered Division 1 nurse and recycling activist, I have no problem using out of date first aid supplies for personal use. Like Liked by 1 person. My MIL works for St Johns, we recently received a care package off them that contained boxes and boxes of bandages and bandaids and things like packaged metal tweezers plus eye pads and all that sort of stuff….
I put it straight into my first aid kit and will have no hesitation in using them if the need arises….. I reuse expired first aid items in some of my personal kits, but not in kits where I may be dealing with trauma patients where I need the gear to work first time every time Duty of Care. Like most other things, medical items have their length of preservation too. Many items in a first aid kit have an expiry date of years from the date of manufacture.
All first aid kits we sell have expiration dates on expired components, so do the bandages. This article below shall describe more about the bandages we produce. Do wounds covered with bandage need air for better healing? You cannot do this for professional purposes or for regulatory purposes. For personal use, this is usually not a problem. The problem with bandage expiration is that they no longer guarantee sterility after a certain date.
However, the bandage is still clean cloth that you can use. In the case of massive bleeding, the method of stopping the bleeding hardly matters. Of course, it's best to use sterile or at least clean ingredients, but used kitchen towels are just as good if the alternative is excessive or bleeding.
Then, when the emergency phase is over, patients are transferred to more advanced care, where they can be well covered and sterile and prevent or treat any infection that causes an accident or a life-saving first aid. Sepsis is better than no blood in the body.
Even with personal first aid, there are exceptions. Bandages should be applied to the skin the stickiness will disappear over time , or they should never be applied to a wound such as a burn dressing. Make it a habit to check the supplies in your first aid kits annually. If anything has expired, replace it. You should also check the packaging on your supplies, especially items that need to remain sterile, such as bandages and gauze. If the packaging is damaged or wet, replace the item.
Look over the supplies you currently have in your first aid kits, figure out what you need to replace, and place your order today.
At 1stAidSupplies. We will refund the purchase price, exchange it, or issue store credit, your choice. Original and any shipping fees are non-refundable. Returned products must be in original packaging, unopened, unused, undamaged and in saleable condition. Only pre-authorized returns can be accepted. You can shop at 1stAidSupplies. We have partnered with Stripe, PayPal and WePay, leading payment gateways to accept credit cards and electronic check payments safely and securely for our customers.
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