Sterilization Methods & Monitoring Flashcards

What action should be taken if a sterilizer fails its daily Bowie-Dick test?

Answer: Take the sterilizer out of service and notify biomedical engineering

A failed Bowie-Dick test indicates an air removal problem; the sterilizer must be taken out of service until the cause is identified and corrected.

Which chemical indicator class is placed inside packages to verify conditions within the package during sterilization?

Answer: Class 5 or 6 (internal integrating/emulating indicators)

Class 5 or Class 6 indicators are placed inside packages to verify that sterilization conditions were met within the pack itself.

What is the recommended frequency for biological indicator (BI) testing of steam sterilizers?

Answer: Daily for all cycles, or with every implant load

AAMI ST79 requires BI testing at least weekly for routine steam sterilizers and with every load containing implantable devices.

Immediate-Use Steam Sterilization (IUSS) should be used:

Answer: Only when time does not permit using wrapped sterilization and there is no suitable alternative

IUSS is intended only as a last resort when no sterile packaged item is available and a patient procedure requires immediate access to a specific instrument.

What does the term 'sterility assurance level' (SAL) of 10⁻⁶ mean?

Answer: One in one million chance a viable microorganism remains on a sterilized device

SAL 10⁻⁶ means there is at most a one-in-one-million probability that a single viable microorganism remains on a properly sterilized device.

What type of sterilization monitoring involves reviewing time, temperature, and pressure charts from each cycle?

Answer: Physical (mechanical) monitoring

Physical monitoring involves reviewing mechanical cycle data — printouts or digital records of time, temperature, and pressure — to verify cycle performance.