Patient Safety & Quality AssuranceQuestion 76 of 100
Immediately before puncturing a vial inside the hood, what should the technician do to the rubber septum?
a.Wipe it with a dry gauze pad
b.Rinse it with sterile water and puncture it right away
c.Wipe it with sterile 70% isopropyl alcohol and allow it to air-dry before puncturing
d.Hold it briefly over a flame to sterilize the surface
Explanation
Sterile 70% isopropyl alcohol needs contact time to kill surface organisms, so the septum must be wiped in one direction and then allowed to dry rather than being punctured while still wet. A dry gauze pad only moves contamination around, sterile water has no antimicrobial action, and open flame is never used in a laminar airflow hood.
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