FDA reminds health care facilities to use proper N95 sterilization processes

The Food and Drug Administration yesterday issued a reminder to health care facilities’ reprocessing staffs to follow the agency-outlined decontamination cycle when using the ASP STERRAD Sterilization System to decontaminate N95 or N95-equivalent respirators for reuse via vaporized hydrogen peroxide.

FDA April 11 authorized the device’s emergency use for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To ensure continued safe use of the device, the agency is repeating its sterilization process recommendations, which include material and cycle consideration, as well as agency-developed instructions and a fact sheet.