Surgical Towels, WHITE
Key Features and Benefits
Who Can Benefit
Common Applications
Packaging Options
Sterile Blue O.R. Towel, 17 x 27 Inch (12/CS)
Prewashed
Greater than 88% cotton content
O.R. towels are packed sterilely – six to a pack.
Single use
17 x 27 inches
| Feature | Standard Specifications |
|---|---|
| Material Composition | 100% Cotton (often pre-washed and delinted greige cotton), or Nonwoven synthetic blends (which inherently produce less lint). |
| Common Dimensions | • Standard US: 17" x 26" or 17" x 27" (approx. 43 x 68 cm). • Standard Metric: 43 x 61 cm or 40 x 60 cm. • Alternative sizes: 12" x 12" (washcloth size) up to 18" x 33". |
| Ply & Construction | Typically 1-ply plain-weave for standard huck towels. Gauze-based surgical towels can range from 4-ply to 16-ply. Edges must be completely hemmed or stitched on all four sides to prevent fraying. |
| Yarn & Thread Count | • Yarn Types: Commonly 21s, 32s, or 40s. • Example Thread Counts: 21's/2 x 10's (82 x 22 /inch) or 10's x 7's (58 x 29 /inch). |
| Color Coding | Ceil Blue, Jade Green, White, and Yellow. Color-coding is strictly used to separate operating room zones or distinguish sterile from non-sterile supplies. |
Key Operational Characteristics:
• Linting Properties: Must be low-lint or lint-free. Delinting is a critical manufacturing step because free-floating lint particles can transport bacteria into surgical wounds, causing surgical site infections (SSIs).
• Radiopacity (X-Ray Detection): Available in both Non-X-ray detectable and X-ray detectable formats. X-ray detectable variants feature a fused barium sulfate or radiopaque thread woven into the fabric so they can be located via imaging if accidentally left inside a patient.
• Sterility: Supplied as Sterile (frequently EO or Gamma irradiated in 2-pack or 4-pack double-pouch layouts) or Non-Sterile (for bulk purchasing to be autoclaved on-site).
