Lately, hospitals have been in the news for using plastic bags to save the lives of premature babies. This is just one example of plastic, zip lock bags at work in the medical field. Plastic bags are aseptically clean, but not sterile, which makes them superior to cloth bags and cardboard boxes for storage. Of course, the sheer diversity of styles and sizes enables the humble zip lock bag to step into a host of roles.

SPECIMEN ZIP LOCK BAGS

Whether a nurse is taking blood, a patient is offering a stool sample, or a lab technician is preparing a DNA testing kit, it’s important that the specimen stays safe. In addition to the collection tube or jar that serves as the first line of defense for the specimen, it’s important to prevent the specimen from damaging or becoming damaged by other samples with which it is transported. Hospital quality, zip lock bags should be air- and waterproof. Such bags provide specimens with an excellent second layer of protection. They also help prevent dangerous spills and contamination when the specimens are handled by medical professionals during transit and unpacking. Although medical professionals should always use gloves when handling such samples, it is always better to have too much protection rather than too little.

STORAGE

Zip lock bags come in many shapes and sizes with a range of thicknesses available. Although your average sandwich bag may not stand up to the sharp edges of metal tools, there are plenty of bags available, specifically designed to resist puncture. These can handle anything from mechanical parts to examination tools. Do you need to keep spare batteries on hand for the remote in the waiting room? It’s easy to keep them from cluttering up a desk drawer by simply restricting them to a zip lock bag. Would you prefer a more sanitary way to store reusable examination gowns than simply letting them sit exposed in a dusty closet? Store them in individual bags or store entire stacks in the largest zip lock bags. Use the same technique for newborn attire and blankets. Nearly anything that does not come with its own case can be stored in a zip lock bag, and even if an item does have a separate case, a zip lock bag can go over the original casing as additional protection.

PATIENTS’ PERSONAL EFFECTS

Patients must often remove personal effects before a procedure. This can include removing items of clothing for an exam or removing any metal from their person before a scan. Keeping these items in an open dish is an invitation for disaster. All it takes is one elbow to send the dish flying, and suddenly you’ve lost the patient’s wedding ring. With zip lock bags the range of sizes once again comes in handy. Large bags are available for patients to store bulky clothes in, rather than simply leaving them where they could become soiled or inconvenience the examiner. Small bags help keep jewelry and watches safe, even within a larger bag so they do not become lost in the folds of larger items.

Zip lock bags may provide any number of innovative uses, like warming tiny newborns, but it’s important to have them on hand to manage more mundane tasks. Still, having a ready supply of zip lock bags ensures you and your team are ready for the unexpected. You never know when an opportunity for creative thinking will come knocking.