Expired Medical Materials

Rationale: 

The use of expired medical materials is not acceptable veterinary practice and does not constitute the adequate veterinary care required by the regulations promulgated under the Animal Welfare Act.

Policy:

• Expired medical materials must not be used in any animal research survival procedures.
• Undated sterile items purchased from a manufacturer are considered sterile until an event causes them to be unsterile (e.g. tear or wetness).
• Dated sterile items purchased from a manufacturer are considered sterile until the expiration date on the package.
• Items sterilized in the laboratory must be secured with autoclave tape and marked with an expiration date.  Six months is the accepted expiration date limit for items autoclaved in the lab.

Applicability:

Examples of medical materials include:

• Suture Material,
• Catheters, and
• Sterile Gloves.

Instructions:

Dispose of unused expired medical materials in the trash.  Store out of date materials separately and clearly label them for non-sterile procedures.

Exceptions:

When a non-survival procedure is being performed on an anesthetized animal, it is acceptable to use expired medical materials such as suture material, catheters, surgical instruments, and sterile gloves.  Out of date materials must be stored separately from other materials and clearly labeled as expired. 

Contact Information:

 For any additional questions concerning this policy, please contact the IACUC Manager at 5-6420.