Paper I — 2025 August (Supplementary) (2010 Scheme) — Q13
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Paper I
2025 August (Supplementary) (2010 Scheme) · 40 marks · 120 min
Question
Sterilization controls used in autoclave
Q132 marksShort Notes
Answer
Sterilization controls used in autoclave:
Physical controls — autoclave gauges/charts recording temperature, pressure, and time achieved during each cycle.
Chemical indicators — autoclave tape (changes colour/develops stripes at the correct temperature) and the Bowie-Dick test (confirms effective air removal and steam penetration throughout the load).
Biological indicators — spore strips of a highly heat-resistant organism, Geobacillus stearothermophilus, processed alongside the load; absence of growth on subsequent incubation confirms that true sterilizing conditions were achieved throughout the load, not merely that the machine completed its cycle — the most definitive control.
These three levels of control together ensure that the autoclave both reached the correct physical parameters and actually achieved biological sterility for the specific load processed.
