The "arrow" indicators that are printed on bags are not Biological Spore Tests
and do not prove sterilization, they only show that the items were processed.

Sterilizers must be spore tested.
Contact your Health Department to find out how often they require testing.

The assumption is: If the previous spore test passed and the current test also passes, so long as each run was monitored for performance, everything run in between will also be safe to use.

If a spore test fails: all items processed since the last successful test are considered suspect and should be recalled or investigated.  A failed sterilizer is to be spore tested with 3 consecutive loads that pass before the unit is allowed back into regular periodic testing.

4 Parameters for Steam sterilization:
temperature, steam, time and low bio-burden level.

External heat source sterilizers.
Must sterilize every load to be considered safe to use.
Sterilizers that require human adjustment of sterilization parameters during use, such as
manually watching a clock, or regulating the temperature must be spore tested for each load because there is no way test the human operator for performance conformity.
The items processed must be kept in quarantine until a negative-growth result has been obtained. Items "stove-top" external heat sterilized are not considered safe to use until
that run has been spore tested.

Sterility Assurance means that repeated biological spore testing consistently produces
negative spore test results.
When the processed spore test is incubated and nothing grows, you killed or inactivated the test spores. When the spore tests consistently pass time after time,
the processed items are considered safe to use. 

Implantable items.
Every item to be implanted must be biologically tested before being considered safe to use.

Flash Sterilizers are inappropriate.
that sterilize unwrapped instruments in a few minutes are not appropriate for Tattoo or Piercing because there is no means of testing. They are for emergency use specifically made for an operating room when an instrument becomes contaminated during an operation when a replacement is not available. They are not used for routine processing.

All new, moved or repaired sterilizers must have 3 negative (no growth) spore tests before being put into routine periodic-testing use.

Biological Sterilization Test kits

Additional Sterilization Comments

 

For added assurance.
# MS-1329, ProChem Strips, Integrators Placed Inside the pouch $ 10.00/ 250 per box.  Steam Sterilization Integrators react to steam penetration into the pouch.