SterilizationQuestion 54 of 100
A student asks a technician what it means when a process is described as achieving a sterility assurance level of 10 to the minus 6. What is the correct explanation?
a.Six log reductions of bioburden have occurred during the cycle
b.The probability that a single item remains nonsterile after processing is one in one million
c.Six biological indicators must be run in every load
d.The sterilant concentration is one part per million at the end of the cycle
Explanation
SAL is a probability statement about the likelihood that a viable microorganism survives on a processed item, and 10 to the minus 6 is the accepted level for devices intended for sterile use. It is not a count of log reductions achieved, although the two concepts are mathematically related through the starting bioburden. It has nothing to do with the number of indicators used or with residual sterilant concentration.
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