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[Sterilization--the microbiology between claim and reality]
1Robert Koch-Institut des Bundesgesundheitsamtes, Berlin.
Zentralblatt Fur Hygiene Und Umweltmedizin = International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine
|May 1, 1993
Summary
Achieving complete sterilization is theoretically impossible, as some viable germs always remain. The goal is to minimize these, using resistant microorganisms for biological indicators to ensure microbicidal efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Sterilization Science
- Public Health
Context:
- Sterilization aims to eliminate all viable microorganisms, a goal challenged by inherent microbiological principles.
- Microorganisms do not die simultaneously when exposed to microbicidal agents; their destruction follows a predictable order.
Purpose:
- To explore the fundamental challenges in achieving absolute sterilization.
- To discuss the practical aims and limitations of sterilization processes.
- To highlight the role of microbiological indicators in ensuring sterilization efficacy.
Summary:
- Absolute sterilization is theoretically unattainable due to the logarithmic nature of microbial death, where a proportion of viable organisms always remains.
- The practical objective of sterilization is to reduce the microbial population to a statistically insignificant level.
- Excluding highly resistant microorganisms from the items to be sterilized is crucial for effective sterilization within practical timeframes.
Impact:
- The study underscores the importance of managing bioburden and selecting appropriate sterilization methods.
- It validates the use of resistant microorganisms in biological indicators (bioindicators) to monitor sterilization processes.
- Bioindicators, alongside physical and chemical methods, provide assurance of microbicidal agent efficacy, crucial for patient safety and product integrity.