Medical Advisory #414
October 26, 2011

WARNING ABOUT USE OF NON-STERILE ALCOHOL WIPES

In January 2011, NHF issued a Medical Advisory (#412) about a recall of non-sterile alcohol wipes produced by one company, Triad. In April, the FDA forced this company to close. Now, additional infections have occurred in patients using non-sterile alcohol wipes manufactured by another company, Pacific Disposables International (PDI). This company has also been required by the FDA to recall their products. Both of these companies package their products under their own label and under other companies’ labels.

At this time, it appears prudent to recommend that all individuals who have alcohol wipes or other prep pads/swabs in their home examine the individual packages to see if they contain the word “Sterile.” This includes wipes that are packaged with factor or other IV preparation kits. If the word “sterile” does not appear on the package, there is no way to determine if they are in fact sterile or not. Therefore, individuals should discontinue use of any wipes that do not state “sterile” and request replacement with sterile wipes from their clotting factor distributor.

Nurses should also check their supply of alcohol wipes to ensure that they are only using sterile wipes. This is particularly important for patients with indwelling venous access devices (catheters or ports) and for patients with compromised immune systems, but should be standard of care for all patients.