An orthopaedic presentation of AIDS: brief report.

folded bandage102919 significantly different for folded and for rolled bandages (long, p < 0.001 and short p <0.01). Discussion. This study has confirmed that Esmarch bandages, whether tightly rolled or loosely folded, may not be properly sterilised by normal autoclaving and that there is a significant difference between the rolled and folded group. The causeoffailure is probably the thermal insulation properties of rubber; efforts to produce complete sterility would involve either a prolonged autoclave cycle, or the interleaving ofthe bandage with a loose thermoconductive material to allow heat penetra tion. Until such methods can be formulated, we recommend that the use of conventionally “sterilised― Esmarch bandagesbe abandoned.