Factors concerned in the efficient steam sterilization of surgical dressings

Abstract

(Knox, 1961). Since the original work of Knox and Penikett (1958) on the level of forevacuum to be employed in high pre-vacuum sterilization no detailed confirmation of their results has been presented, although suggestive supportive evidence is available (Magee and Oakes, 1958;Alder and Gillespie, 1959; Wells and Whitwell, 1960).A high pre-vacuum contributes to the efficient steam sterilization of dressings, i.e., a process which produces a dry, sterile load in the shortest possible time without damage to the load. Other factors which contribute to efficiency are effective drying of the load with which must be bracketed a good supply of dry, saturated steam, prevention of the load being recontaminated by unsterile air at the end of the process, and finally any modification to a sterilizer which increases its rate of turnover.In the present study the factors concerned with the efficiency of such sterilizers which have been considered are: Speed of sterilization in relation to whether a sterilizer should be jacketed or unjacketed,

Graphical Procedure for Comparing Thermal Death of Bacillus stearothermophilus Spores in Saturated and Superheated Steam

“…They include: maintenance of steam temperature and pressure at the phase boundary; accurate, uniform, and reproducible temperature control; rapid heating and cooling and necessary corrections; and the relatively high reaction rate. Rapid heating is difficult unless a hot jacket is maintained about the chamber (Walter, 1948;Fallon, 1961). Our results show that a hot jacket superheats incoming steam.…”

“…If we place spore controls within a bundle of fabrics, we introduce another complicating factor, as displacement of air by incoming steam is retarded by fabrics (Knox and Penikett, 1958;Fallon, 1961). The recent development of "high-prevacuum" sterilizing systems by Knox and Penikett (1958) provided a solution to the problem.…”