Monitoring and Record Keeping Part One

Monitoring and Record Keeping Lab part one

The Bowie-Dick test

To test the pre-vac sterilizer's air removal system

Multiple Choice

The Bowie-Dick test indicator turns from black to yellow

• true

• false

Whats wrong with this picture?

I will explain.

The growth medium starts out bluish and changes to yellow when the bacteria is alive and well.

This is an unprocessed biological, notice the pink strip. That is a chemical indicator that turns brown when exposed to steam.

These strips are both brown. One of these is a bad test result. Can you tell which is bad?

Multiple Select

Select the true statements

• the yellow one has been through a sterilization cycle and the bacteria are still alive, this is not good.

• the one on the right is a control and is supposed to be yellow.

• the blue one has been through a sterilization cycle and the bacteria are not growing, it appears they are dead and we have sterilization.

Let's plant the bug

(put the biological into the incubator)

We'll need to record several things

It's as easy as answering questions to which we know the answer.

Here is a sample of a biological testing log sheet

This is not representative of all facilities.

The questions to be answered are blacked out on this example

This is a sample and does not represent all facilities log sheets.

Question: What sterilization run is the amplule associated with?

does not apply to controls which are not associated with any run.
More on controls later.

place load tracking information sticker here (lot sticker)

Question: what date was the load was run?

the date the load was run

Question: what is the lot number of the Test or Control?

The lot number here is 2019-12DD

This unprocessed ampule shows the lot number 2019-12DD

(the pink strip turns brown when exposed to steam)

Each lot number for test packs being used in any given day must be shown to be viable by growing a control of the same lot number

If you switch lot numbers during any given day you must also grow a control of the new lot number

record the lot number 

Question: what is the result of the integrator?

accept or reject?

circle one

Question: Placement of the ampule in the incubator?

Date and time the ampule is placed in the incubator? Initials of the tech?

Date and time the ampule is removed from the incubator? Initials of the tech?

Record the result of test.
The test is the ampule that went through a sterilization process.

negative is good, positive is bad

Record the control result

positive is good, negative is bad

For rapid read out record the result and leave the control in the incubator for 24 hours. Do not remove control or fill in date/time of removal before the 24 hours has elapsed. 

After 24 hours you may log control out. 
Be sure to verify the identity of the ampule you are removing from the incubator.

control logged out after 24 hours, test logged out same day

Note: The examples of biological indicators used here are of a 3 hour read-out manufactured by 3M

Poll

I learned from this presentation.

• Agree

• Disagree