Sterilization monitoring is a crucial step in the sterilization process at the Sterilized Material Center (CME). This process is essential to ensure patient safety, as it ensures that all instruments and equipment used in medical and surgical procedures are free of all types of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores.
There are several ways to monitor sterilization, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The three main forms of monitoring are physical monitoring, chemical monitoring and biological monitoring.
Physical monitoring involves direct observation of the sterilization process. This may include checking pressure, temperature and time conditions during the sterilization cycle. This type of monitoring is usually done through devices incorporated into the sterilizer, such as manometers, thermometers and timers. While this type of monitoring is useful to ensure that the sterilization process is working correctly, it cannot confirm that all microorganisms have actually been eliminated.
Chemical monitoring involves the use of substances that change color or shape when exposed to certain sterilization conditions. These chemical indicators can be placed inside instrument packages to confirm that sterilization conditions have been achieved inside the package. Some examples of chemical indicators include adhesive tapes that change color when exposed to high temperatures, and cards or strips that change color when exposed to a particular gas or vapour. Although chemical indicators are more sensitive than physical monitoring, they still cannot confirm the death of all microorganisms.
Biological monitoring is considered the gold standard for sterilization monitoring. It involves the use of bacterial spores that are known to be highly resistant to sterilization. These spores are placed inside a package of instruments and exposed to the sterilization process. After sterilization, the spores are incubated in conditions ideal for bacterial growth. If the spores germinate and grow, this indicates that the sterilization process was not effective. If the spores do not germinate, this indicates that the sterilization process was effective.
While biological monitoring is the most reliable method of monitoring sterilization, it is also the most time-consuming and expensive. For this reason, it is often used in combination with physical and chemical monitoring.
In addition to these three main forms of monitoring, there are also other forms of monitoring that can be used in certain situations. For example, fluorescence monitoring can be used to detect the presence of detergent or disinfectant residues on instruments after cleaning. Scanning electron microscopy monitoring can be used to detect the presence of tissue residue or foreign material on instruments after cleaning.
In conclusion, sterilization monitoring is an essential part of the sterilization process at MSC. It helps ensure that all instruments and equipment used in medical and surgical procedures are free of microorganisms, thereby protecting the health and safety of patients. While there are several forms of monitoring, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, using a combination of methods can provide the highest level of assurance that the sterilization process was effective.
