How often should biological indicator testing (e.g. spore testing) be done?
ATS, Inc. recommends at least weekly monitoring of your sterilizer. Weekly testing is also recommended by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and is also recommended by AAMI, ADA and The Joint Commission. You can also check your State guidelines as to what testing frequency is required. In the dental field, there are 39 states now requiring sterilizers to be tested WEEKLY (see Dental Regulations). State guidelines are constantly changing too for the tattoo and body piercing industry. (See Tattoo Regulations for what is required in your state). We also recommend 3 consecutive BI tests for qualification testing (done after installation or repair of a sterilizer).
