Sterilization Monitoring Service
The Department of Biomedical & Diagnostic Sciences of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry offers a monthly/weekly service to determine the effectiveness of office sterilizers. An integral component of office sterilization procedures is monitoring the efficiency of the system. A multitude of factors may diminish the effectiveness of sterilizer apparatus.
Two of the more frequent problems encountered are improper wrapping of instruments preventing adequate penetration to the instrument surface, and defective control gauges that do not reflect actual conditions inside the sterilizer.
One may employ chemically treated tapes that change color or biological controls to check for the proper functioning of an office sterilizer. Materials that change color generally inform the practitioner that sterilizing conditions have been reached, but do not necessarily indicate that sterilization of the chamber contents has been achieved.
In addition, certain indicators change color long before sterilization occurs and appropriate conditions are met. Autoclave tape is probably the worst offender in this regard, since it will change to show the striped markings following very brief exposure to steam. The major use of specific chemical indicators to monitor sterilization is as a routine check for each load of items processed through the sterilizer. Gross malfunctions can usually be detected quickly by utilization of indicator labels, strips and steam pattern cards.
The employment of calibrated biological controls remains the main guarantee of sterilization. These preparations contain bacterial spores that are more resistant to heat than viruses and vegetative bacteria. Since the spore preparations are relatively heat resistant the proof of their destruction after exposure to the sterilization cycle is used to infer that all microorganisms exposed to the same conditions have been destroyed. The demonstration of sporicidal activity by an office sterilizer thus represents the most sensitive check for efficiency.
The service includes the mailing of spore strips (sent on approximately the 15th of each month) together with instructions to participating dentists. The spore strip must be used by the dentist according to the instructions and returned by mail to the department. An individual monthly report with appropriate recommendations is sent to each participant. If a spore test is positive, indicating that the sterilizer failed to sterilize, one of the department members telephones the office regarding the positive test and assists you in determining the reason for the failure and how best to resolve the problem. A second test is then mailed to the office at no additional charge.
As a component of our service, a certificate of membership, suitable for framing, is sent to participants if desired. In addition, our quarterly newsletter, THE MONITOR, is mailed to participants at no charge. THE MONITOR includes information on infection control, infectious diseases, antimicrobials, preventive dentistry and nutrition.
The cost of the service is $150 per year based on a single test each month. If more than one sterilizer is tested monthly in the same office, each additional sterilizer is $75. If weekly testing is desired, the cost of one sterilizer per year is $400. Each additional sterilizer is $200.
We thank you for your interest in the Sterilization Monitoring Service. Please call the department at (313) 494-6630 or email sms@udmercy.edu if you have any questions or concerns.