Instructions on how to buy cotton swabs and precautions when using them

Most cotton swabs sold in supermarkets are not disinfected and are suitable for ordinary cleaning tasks such as makeup. If you want to treat a wound, it is best to use a sterile cotton swab, such as a hospital or pharmacy.

Among the sterile cotton swabs, one is wrapped in yellow paper. The cotton swab is sterilized by high temperature and high pressure. In the unopened case, it can usually be stored for two weeks. The weather in the south is humid, and the wrapping paper is easily damp, and the shelf life can be shortened to about one week. The other is sterilized with ethylene oxide gas, sealed in a plastic bag or box, and the shelf life is about 2 to 3 years.

Precautions

1. After the sterile cotton swab is used up, the outer packaging should be sealed. Once the outer packaging is opened, if stored properly, it can remain sterile within 24 hours. It is no longer sterile due to contamination by bacteria in the air.

2. Sterilization kills only pathogenic microorganisms, and sterilizes spore seeds that kill bacteria. The cotton swab has bacterial spores, which cannot be achieved by disinfectants, and even disinfectants may be contaminated. At this time, not only can not be disinfected, but also may cause infection, so sterile cotton swabs should not be used on the wound.

3. Do not put the cotton swab in the ear canal. Removing earwax with a cotton swab may cause it to fall off its original place and pile up in piles, which makes it easier to penetrate the ear canal and block the ear, causing pain, hearing problems, tinnitus or dizziness, and may require treatment if necessary . The other swab may go too deep and cause the tympanic membrane to rupture.
How to choose high-quality medical cotton swabs: Generally, medical cotton swabs directly contact the patient's wound, and require high levels of sterilization. In addition, for the selection of absorbent cotton raw materials for making cotton swabs, raw materials that meet the requirements of national standards and industry standards must be selected. There is also the requirement for the quality of the bar, whether it is a plastic bar, a paper bar or a wooden bar, it should meet the specified requirements and be able to withstand a certain external force without permanent deformation or breaking.