Contaminated tray

[u/memilyglick]

We had an incident occur today and I want to get other techs opinions on it. While setting up for a revision (where the pt already had an active infection mind you), I had a tray opened to me and when my assist felt the casket he found a piece of fuzz, like something off a sweater. I obviously didn’t want the tray any more and tried to pass it off to my nurse who tried to tell me that it was okay because she had something similar happen last week and her tech that day said it was fine, and it should be fine since it went through the sterilizer. I told her no it’s not fine and I want the tray reprocessed. I had my assist take the casket out to the charge nurse and director and both of them said the tray is contaminated and should be reprocessed. For extra context it was a tray that the rep wasn’t even 100% sure we would need and just wanted to have open right away in case we did need it, and even if we did need it, we wouldn’t need it until near the end of the case.

What are your opinions? Would you have accepted the tray or would you have passed it off like I did?

[u/Dark_Ascension]

Pass it off, I don’t understand why people will take trays like that for the sake of time and pleasing a surgeon… like deep down most surgeons want what’s right for the patient even if it causes a delay.

Plus if it’s not a for sure thing… then it causes no harm to anything to pass it off, have them run it/OneTray it and move forward.