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Monitoring 3: spore test (weekly and every implant load)
Also called: biological indicator, BI, spore strip
The only test that shows the sterilizer actually killed living germs.
A spore test (biological indicator) contains very hardy bacterial spores. It goes through a normal cycle and is then grown, either in an office incubator or by a mail-in lab, along with an unprocessed control. CDC says to spore-test each sterilizer at least weekly and to test every load that contains an implant, holding the implant until the result is negative.
How to spot it
- Paper strips in glassine envelopes or small plastic vials, and the mail-in or incubator log.
What you do
- Place the test where the indicator maker says (usually the hardest spot for steam to reach) in a normal load.
- Record the result in the log.
Related
Sources: CDC. Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, 2003. MMWR 2003;52(RR-17), CDC. Dental Infection Prevention FAQs: Sterilization Monitoring