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Frequently Asked Questions.
1.
How does your program work? What can I expect?Just contact us and let us know if you want our "one time free trial" or if you want to sign up for a routine monitoring plan. Most people need to test monthly or weekly, so they order a one year supply of spore strips. We send you the strips, a set of report forms, and a detailed instruction sheet. Each month or week, you will run a spore strip through your sterilizer and return it to us with the report form. We complete the test and send you a report and a "Certificate of Participation" for your wall within 24 hours of test completion for autoclaves, 3 days for Chemiclaves, and 7 days for dry heat sterilizers. It's that easy!
2. What is a spore strip?
A spore strip is a small piece of filter paper measuring 1.0 inch
long by 0.25 inch wide that is impregnated with millions of
bacterial spores, typically of the genus Bacillus. The spore strip
is normally sealed in a small blue glassine envelope (see image
above).
3. What is a control strip and do I really
need one?
A control strip is a second strip that comes with your spore test
that you don't put in your sterilizer. It is for quality assurance.
The control strip verifies that the spores you put in your
sterilizer were viable prior to sterilization, and also verifies
that our test media at the laboratory supports growth. We always run
controls at our laboratory whether your test includes one or not.
The control helps ensure that the spores haven't been exposed to any
environmental condition that could destroy them. For instance, don't
store your spore strips next to a hot oven, in a moist environment,
next to a microwave, etc. We highly recommend using control strips
but don't require them. Customers who test on a weekly basis
typically don't want a control strip because of costs. We can offer
an "economy" test that does not include a control at a lower cost.
Again, we run a control at our lab when we test your strip. Most
regulatory agencies we've found don't require a control, but you
should check with your regulatory agency to make sure. The CDC
and ADA recommend the use of control strips.
4. Is a spore strip dangerous?
Although the Bacillus spores on a spore strip are typically
considered non-pathogenic to humans, care should still be taken when
handling them. Do not open or tear the blue glassine envelope or you
will expose yourself to the spores and also invalidate the test. If
you need to discard unused spore strips, sterilize them for 30
minutes in an autoclave at 121° C or two hours in a hot air oven at
160° C before throwing them away.
5. Why use spore strips when I use chemical
indicators?
Chemical indicators are fine for indicating that an item has been
through a sterilization cycle. However, they don’t indicate
sterility, as spore strips do.
6. What is a spore?
Think of a spore as a bacterium that is enclosed inside a capsule.
It is much more resistant to sterilization when in spore form. When
exposed to certain conditions, the bacterium can break out of the
capsule and become a non-spore type bacterium.
7. Why do I have to spore test my
sterilizer?
In most states, it is now a Health Department requirement to monitor
your sterilizers on a monthly or weekly basis, depending on your
type of business. Generally, tattoo/piercing businesses monitor
monthly. Dentists typically monitor weekly, or even daily. If it’s
not already a requirement for your business, more than likely
legislation is currently in the works to make it a requirement.
Although this is an overhead for you, it's very important for the
safety and health of your customers.
8. Why should I care if I spore strip test
my sterilizers?
By testing your sterilizers, you are showing your customers that you
care about their health and safety. Most businesses want to proudly
show off their certificate on the wall stating that they routinely
monitor their sterilizers.
9. Don’t sterilizers always sterilize the
load?
No. Sterilizers can have the parameters set wrong, can be
overloaded, or can have the items to be sterilized wrapped
incorrectly. In an autoclave, steam must come in contact with
everything in the load. That is another reason why items must be
very clean before being wrapped. Air pockets in the load can also
prevent steam from reaching the product. We see about a 1-3%
failure in spore tests on steam sterilizers.
10. What happens if I fail a spore strip
test?
Don’t panic. Even the best sterilizers occasionally fail. You should
check the maintenance and settings on your sterilizer and perform a
retest immediately. If the retest is acceptable, you’re ok. If it
fails, you should use a back up sterilizer. Also, do not use items
on customers that were sterilized in a load that failed a test. We
provide free retests. If your sterilizer fails a test, we will
replace the spore strips you use for a retest at no cost to you.
11. Who receives a copy of our monthly
report?
We only send a copy to you, our client. We currently are not
required to send test information to any governmental agency and we
respect your privacy. We also provide as many wall certificates as
you request.
12. What do you do if we fail a test?
We immediately contact you by phone and explain the retest
procedure. We also send you replacement spore strips for the ones
you use on the retest.
13. Why aren’t my competitors across town
using spore strips?
They should be. You might want to show your customers your
certificate or test reports so they will know that your company is
concerned about their health and safety. It might help you get more
business.
14. What are the legal issues if I choose to
not test my sterilizer?
First of all, if your county or state has legislation that requires
it, you would be violating the law. But equally as important, if any
of your customers contacts tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis, or other
blood related disease, you don't want them taking you to court when
you haven't been spore strip testing your sterilizer. If it is the
law or not, you are protecting yourself and your customers by
routine testing.
15. I bought my sterilizer used? Is it ok?
First you should ensure it meets it's parameters, 121 deg C for 15
minutes minimum. Even though the cycle might be set for 30 minutes,
you MUST ensure the load sees 121 deg C for your specified time.
Some autoclaves sterilizer at a hotter temperature for a shorter run
time. Consult your operator manual for proper operation.
Spore strip testing will validate if it's sterilizing or not.
Typically, horizontal sterilizers work better than vertical types.
Home pressure cookers do sterilize, but should not be used. They are
too unreliable. Ensure you do your maintenance and that the unit is
filled with water each time you run it. If you have an older unit
for a backup, you should have it spore strip tested so you will know
it works if you have to put it back in service. Most people only
spore strip test their backups occasionally.
If you have other questions concerning sterilizers or spore testing, email us at tymn@sporestriptesting.com . We will promptly return your email.