Why doesn UofL offer a monthly sterilizer monitoring plan?
• The first reason is empirical as the both the ADA and the CDC recommend only weekly sterilizer monitoring using Biological Indicators and neither endorse monthly monitoring. • An additional reason is based on our laboratory experience. When a non-sterile sample is detected in the laboratory, a second sample is often already in the mail, thus rapid follow-up and confirmation is achieved. “Why do I have to use Biological Indicators (spore strips) instead of relying on the chemical indicators on my bags and tape?” • The color change of chemical indicators provide evidence that the pack was exposed to heat but there is no indication that the time and temperature required to kill bacterial spores was achieved inside the pack. The only true test to verify that your machine reached sterilizing conditions is to kill bacterial spores, the most resistant life forms known. The assumption is made that by killing spores the less resistant organisms including viruses and vegetative bacterial cells
