sterilization Essays -- essays research papers fc

The only way to ensure that sterilization has occurred is to use the biological monitoring methods. This is because these are the only tests make which show whether or not actual microbial life has been killed. Biological methods are the only ones which are recommended by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the AAMI (Association for the Advancement of health check Instrumentation), the AMA (American Medical Association), OSHA, and OSAP (Office Safety and Asepsis Procedures Foundation)Biological monitoring is basically evaluating a sterilization process by rendering highly resistant bacterial spores biologically inert. The highly resistant bacterial spores used varies depending on what kind of sterilizer was used. For example Bacillus stearothermophilus spores for steam and chemical vapor sterilizers, Bacillus subtilis spores for dry set off and ethylene oxide sterilizers. These specific Bacillus spores are used because they are more resistant, and present in gr eater numbers than are the common microbial contaminants ready on patient care equipment. If it is proven that these spores have been killed, it is strongly implied that other potential pathogens in the load have also been killed. In this method, living spores which are resistant to whichever sterilizing agent is being tested are prepared in either a self contained system, such as dry sp...