The only way to ensure that sterilization has occurred is to use the biological monitoring methods. This is because these are the only tests done 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 Medical 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
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After exposure they are incubated along with an unexposed or control group of spores for the same period of time. If sterilization has occurred the spores which were exposed will not multiply. The control group should grow microorganisms and display a change in color. If this does not occur, then it’s spores have been inactivated and the test is invalid. This is because if the control spores were inactivated, it is possible the spores which were exposed also became inactivated prior to sterilization. Every item sterilized in the load with the indicator involved in an invalid test is considered unsterile. This is the case whenever there is an uncertainty about either the indicator of the control.
Biological testing should be done often. The CDC recommends one spore strip test per sterilizer per week. The biological indicator should be placed in the center of the largest and most difficult to sterilize pack. The pack should then be placed horizontally in the lower front portion of the of the sterilizer chamber to make the sterilization process as difficult as possible. Testing should be done repeatedly every time a sterilizer is calibrated, repaired, or relocated to make sure the machine is working correctly. It should also be performed whenever a new type of packaging material or tray is used, after training new sterilization personnel, and after any change in sterilizer loading procedures.
Three ways to assess water are positive/negative, membrane filtration and IDEXX Colilert and Enterolert assays. For membrane filtration, petri dishes and an incubator are used. For IDEXX coliert powdered medium is used for total coliform and E. Coli, while Enterolert media is used for enterococci. Also an incubator, colilert trays are used. IDEXX is more expensive than membrane filtration.
Cleaning removes organic matter, and most micro-organisms it does not destroy all micro-organisms, this method also can be used prior to the sterilisation or disinfection of equipment Cleaning is a low grade form of decontamination, when a piece of equipment has not been in contact with a patient or a patient who has healthy unbroken skin. Cleaning is accomplished by using hot water with a detergent using a disposal cloth. I use this process as a social clean prior to the three-step wipe method for the flexible endoscopes we use in the department. When I have finished with the cloth it is disposed of in the yellow clinical waste along with the gloves. When cleaning equipment I ensure they are dried properly to prevent contamination.
Sterilization is a heating system that prevents the spread of diseases. To run the steam sterilizer, the technician will need an attest pack. An attest pack is a steam plus a test pack. It is designed to routinely change the steam sterilization process in healthcare facilities. The attest pack is placed on the bottom of the sterilizer autoclave rack along with the instruments. Each test pack has a process indicator on the outside that changes from yellow to dark brown when it is steamed and processed. The indicator is incubated for three hours after sterilization is complete. This procedure is recorded and proves that the sterilization was not compromised. The steam sterilizer runs for one hour at a temperature of two hundred and seventy degrees
All areas that are being used for healthcare activities should be cleaned with either disinfectant wipes each morning and in between patients/procedures. Equipment should be all new out of the packets and clean. For things more major such as vasectomy’s, minor surgery or family planning clinics, areas should be cleaned everywhere with a disinfectant fluid and also with wipes, gloves should always be worn as well as other PPE such as aprons and hats. All equipment should be new from the packet and only touched by the person who is using
Birth control has been the topic of discussion lately. Individuals have been debating if birth control should be able to be received over the counter. That is up to the Food and Drug Administration because they are the ones who have to approve or disapprove. Drug companies and law makers should work together to change the rules and allow woman and teenage girls to have more easily acces to acquire birth control.
9. After the 48 hour time period the inhibition of the Escherichia coli bacteria around the disinfectant disks was measured. A ruler was used to measure the clearing from the edge of the disk to the perimeter of the clearing. Irregularities in the clearing were not included in the area of clearing.
The last form of sterilization I am going to talk about is cold sterile. The reason for cold sterile is not all items can go into heat sterilization. Liquid sterilant, such as 2% to 3.4% glutataldehyde, must be used for this type of sterilization. In order for the cold sterile to work the items must be fully submerged for no less than 10 hours, anything less than that would only be disinfection. This form of sterilization also requires a material safety data sheet due to it being a chemical.
No growths that were unexpected developed. I.e. if it is a fluid base growth there should be no air born bacteria in the culture. No mold is another way to know no contamination occurred.
While shadowing my fellow upper cohorts during the clinic I had made many observations. Unfortunately I was only able to shadow one clinic, although I observed a lot. Marie was the first student that I was shadowing, she was the CA for the day. We started by stocking the cabinets with the necessities. Marie and I then took the dental tools out of the machines that cleaned, sterilized, and dried them. I was shown that there are two sides in the lab. What I mean by this is that the left side is a dirty side which you should always wear gloves so that you are always protected from the bacteria and germs that the tools carry. Everything on this side has to be handled carefully and you must always wash and sanitize your hands when you are through. The right side is the clean side where the tools and dental accessories are kept so that they stay clean and sterile. Next I was with Jennifer, although she had no patients that day due to a
This test is used to detect the hemolytic activity in the bacteria. A darkish green color on the media around the bacteria would represent incomplete hemolysis. A transparent media around the bacteria colony represents complete lysis of the red blood cells. If no change is observed around the bacteria colony then the bacteria is non-hemolytic. For my
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to help you become a little familiar with some of the tests that can be typically performed in a clinical or research lab facility. These tests may help in determining a particular pathogen’s growth needs.
Many tests were completed on the unknown such as gram staining and inspection under microscopes to find whether the bacterium is gram positive or gram negative. Chemical resistance tests were also performed to see if certain chemicals affected the unknown growth or if it didn’t affect the bacteria at all. Each biochemical test
Oral contraceptive has been a controversial topic for years. Oral contraceptives are a common form of birth control. Birth control is used to prevent pregnancy by blocking a male’s sperm from fertilizing a female’s egg. Women take birth control to prevent pregnancy. Also, teen women can prevent unwanted pregnancies by having access to over the counter birth control pills. Birth control pills should be available without a prescription.
The Center for Disease Control conducted a study on contraceptive use; their findings concluded “four out of five women have used birth control pills” during one point of their lives (Basset). Birth control pills have been around for over six decades, and their popularity has significantly increased during the past decade. Thousands of sexually-active women are turning to birth control pills as a way to prevent unplanned pregnancy, regulate periods, and to control acne. Nonetheless, birth control pills are synthetic hormones that influence the female body in severe ways. In fact, doctors and media are not presenting the menaces of consuming birth control pills in women; instead, they disguise the risks with commercials of synchronized
-Sterility: Each sample will placed in a sealed bag, preventing the introduction of extraneous bacteria.