Autoclave 101 Course Quiz Receive a training certificate upon successful completion of this quiz Complete Our Quiz! Sterility is contingent on an item’s SAL, which determines the likelihood of microorganisms surviving the sterilization process. What does SAL stand for?(Required) Sterility assurance level Safe aseptic level Sterility achievement level What are the three parameters required for successful steam sterilization to occur?(Required) Temperature, pressure, and time Heat, UV-C radiation, and time Bleach, ammonia, and water Steam at 100°C contains __ as much energy as water at 100°C.(Required) 7 times 2 times 20 times What are the three primary phases to any sterilization cycle?(Required) Purge phase, exposure phase, and exhaust phase Displacement phase, warming phase, and vent phase Evacuation phase, sterility phase, and vacuum phase What does a vacuum system do?(Required) Forcibly remove air from the autoclave chamber Clean the autoclave chamber after sterilization is complete Pull water out of the autoclave’s plumbing system What are the three most common sterilization cycles?(Required) Gravity cycle, pre-vacuum cycle, and liquids cycle Gravity cycle, thermal cycle, and low-pressure cycle Disinfectant cycle, post-vacuum cycle, and liquids cycle What type of plumbing do Consolidated’s standard construction autoclaves use?(Required) Brass, bronze, and copper Stainless steel, brass, and copper Copper, bronze, and stainless steel What type of applications might require a nickel-clad chamber?(Required) Tissue culture labs General lab use Marine biology labs What are the four primary steam sources for laboratory autoclaves?(Required) House steam, integral electric boilers, remote electric boilers, and steam-to-steam boilers Water-tube boilers, fire-tube boilers, integral electric boilers, and remote electric boilers House steam, steam-to-steam boilers, water-tube boilers, fire-tube boilers What type of water should you not use with a boiler constructed from carbon steel?(Required) Tap water and softened tap water Distilled or deionized water Which type of load should require vacuum air removal (i.e. Prevac cycle)?(Required) Porous items, animal bedding, containers with small openings Liquids and media Syringes What are the two primary types of mechanical vacuum systems used in autoclaves?(Required) Water ejector or liquid-ring pump Side channel blower or centrifugal pump Rotary claw pump or rotary screw pump Why is it important to use a liquid cycle when autoclaving liquids?(Required) It prevents boil-over It prevents damage to containers It prevents liquids from cooling down too quickly During sterilization, a liquid load is most often heated to a temperature of __.(Required) 250°F 212°F 260°F During the sterilization phase, an autoclave chamber typically operates at a pressure of __ above atmospheric pressure.(Required) 15psig 8psig 45psig True or false: A liquid cycle is suitable for containers with 1 mL of liquid.(Required) True — a liquid cycle is the optimal choice for containers with less than 10mL of liquid False — containers with less than 10mL of liquid require more advanced sterilization cycles to prevent evaporation The acceptance criterion for steam dryness is at least __ by weight, and almost every sterilizer manufacturer recommends __ pure steam.(Required) 95%; 97% 95%; 100% 85%; 90% The percentage of non-condensable gasses in steam should be less than or equal to __ by volume.(Required) 3.5% 6.5% 9.5% The amount of superheat present in steam should be no more than __ above the temperature in free expansion into the atmosphere at the current atmospheric pressure.(Required) 25°C 50°C 80°C The following items can contribute to poor steam quality:(Required) Bad system design, inadequate insulation, and poorly controlled steam boiler chemistry Low sections of piping between the boiler and the generator Having no steam traps or separators / clogged steam traps or separators A steam trap or filter located too far from the sterilizer All of the above What safety gear should autoclave operators wear to prevent scalds or burns?(Required) Close-toed shoes Safety gloves Heat-resistant gloves A lab coat All of the above Which items should you never place inside an autoclave?(Required) Non-autoclavable plastics and sealed containers Salt water and items that contain solvents Bleach or cleaning agents that contain bleach All of the above True or false: When sterilizing glass containers with lids, it’s important to loosen the lid before placing the container into the autoclave chamber.(Required) True — it’s important to loosen the lid so that steam can penetrate the container False — it’s important to tightly seal the lid to prevent it from coming off during sterilization True or false: Red bags should be tied shut before being placed into an autoclave chamber.(Required) True — it’s important to tie red bags shut to prevent their contents from leaking out into the autoclave chamber False — red bags should not be tied shut or otherwise sealed; instead, it’s important to leave a slight opening at the top to allow steam to penetrate and escape Failure to properly tighten your autoclave door can __ and __.(Required) Lead to loss of pressure; allow steam to escape the chamber Cause the door to come open; allow steam to escape the chamber Lead to loss of pressure; cause goods to come out of the chamber wet What items do you need to clean the inside of an autoclave chamber?(Required) Vinegar, oil, and water Purified water and autoclave gloves C3 chamber cleaner, a cotton rag/towel, purified water, a cleaning pad, and autoclave gloves True or false: It’s important to remove and clean the chamber drain strainer before cleaning the rest of the autoclave chamber.(Required) True — removing the chamber drain strainer before cleaning the rest of the autoclave chamber prevents it from getting clogged or damaged False — autoclave operators should remove and clean the chamber drain strainer only after cleaning the rest of the autoclave chamber How can you tell if a door gasket is faulty?(Required) If there are small nicks or cracks in the gasket If the hub bottoms out on the door when you go to tighten it If you see any leaking steam between the door and the end ring anywhere along the top, sides, or bottom All of the above What is the purpose of a Bowie-Dick test?(Required) To demonstrate proper air removal from the chamber of a pre-vacuum autoclave To demonstrate proper air removal from the chamber of a gravity autoclave To serve as a substitute for sterility assurance testing What should you do before running a Bowie-Dick test cycle in your autoclave?(Required) Warm up the autoclave Clean out the autoclave chamber Power down the autoclave What is the purpose of a vacuum leak test?(Required) To determine the airtight integrity of the autoclave’s chamber and plumbing To assess the efficacy of an autoclave’s vacuum system Industry standards call for an average leak rate of __ or less.(Required) 1 mm Hg/min 3 mm Hg/min 8 mm Hg/min An autoclave might not reach its temperature set point if…(Required) The power source for the steam generator isn’t turned on The steam generator is in need of repair A clog in the chamber drain is preventing air from escaping the chamber and steam from reaching the correct pressure and temperature The temperature the operator has entered exceeds the autoclave’s maximum allowance All of the above What’s an easy way to validate an autoclave to ensure proper sterilization?(Required) By placing a biological indicator within a typical load By conducting a Bowie-Dick test By running a vacuum leak test What is the most common cause for wet loads?(Required) Placing porous goods, such as cloth or paper, too closely together Not letting the autoclave chamber fully exhaust once the cycle is complete before removing goods Selecting the wrong sterilization cycle for the load It’s best practice to perform maintenance on your autoclave after __ cycles.(Required) 300 800 1000 First Name(Required)Last Name(Required)Email(Required) Are you in a medical/healthcare (patient use) or life science (laboratory) setting?(Required)Select OneMedical/HealthcareLife ScienceWhat type of healthcare facility do you work in?(Required)Select OneHospitalAmbulatory Surgery CenterVeterinary/Vet HospitalDentalFamily PracticeOther Yes, I'd like to receive occasional tips on sterilization best practices. 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