Last week the Government issued a warning about the use of non-sterile alcohol-free wipes in first aid situations. Four specific types of such wipes have been associated with bacterial infections after use; and product recalls were issued for those last year.
In the latest guidance, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) state that non-sterile alcohol-free wipes, of any type or brand, should not be used for first aid, applied on broken or damaged skin, and should never be used for cleaning intravenous lines.
In the light of the above, Jill Webb Training advises all first aiders to check the wipes held in personal and organisational first aid kits and to immediately replace any that are not labelled as ‘Sterile’. Note that labelling stating ‘Antiseptic’ is not the same as ‘Sterile’.
If you are unclear about this, check the contents and discard any that do not contain alcohol as the method of ensuring sterility. Bin the old wipes – do not attempt to use them for other purposes, such as cleaning surfaces.
This incident is a good example of why first aid training must always be kept up to date to ensure that you have the latest information. The minimum is to retake your first aid training every three years, but we recommend one year refresher training.
Read the Government warning here.