A biological indicator is a device or material containing living microorganisms, mainly bacteria spores, used to evaluate the efficiency of a sterilization process. The main purpose of these indicators is to verify if the methods of sterilization were capable of eliminating the most resistant microorganisms of the sterilized equipment.
These live organisms are chosen by their resistance to sterilization processes, making them hard to eliminate in comparison to most microorganisms. They are put strategically in critical locations, like inside medical instrument packs or in areas of difficult access.
After the sterilization cycle, the biological indicators are removed and incubated in a way that the microorganisms come into contact with the appropriate culture medium. The bacteria spores’ survival indicates that the sterilization process was a failure, and corrective measures can be taken to ensure the security of the medical environment.
These indicators are fundamental to ensure that the medical instruments are completely sterilized, contributing to the prevention of infections associated with healthcare and to the fulfillment of the regulatory patterns of medical environments.
The benefits of biological indicators
1 – Direct evaluation of the efficiency
When challenging the system with resistant microorganisms, the indicators offer a precise and specific analysis of the capability of the procedure in securing the complete elimination of pathogenic agents.
This direct and focused approach not only attests to the efficiency of the process but also offers a more robust assurance that the medical instruments are truly sterilized, reinforcing, therefore, the security in the medical environment.
2 – Continuous monitoring
The biological indicators allow the continuous monitoring of the efficiency of the sterilization through time. This is particularly important in medical environments, where regular sterilization is essential to prevent infections associated with healthcare.
3 – Regulatory compliance
In this context, the regulatory agencies frequently stipulate a need to incorporate biological indicators in the sterilization protocols. This normative imposition does not reflect only the commitment to the patient’s security but also acts as a critical mechanism to ensure that the sterilization processes attend to the elevated patterns of quality and efficiency.
With that, we created a way to ensure that medical environments are strictly in conformation with the regulatory normative, promoting, consequently, an elevated standard of security and reliability.
4 – Identification of failures in the process
If the biological indicators reveal the survival of spores after sterilization, this indicates a failure in the process that can be investigated and corrected to avoid risks to the patient’s health.
5 – Trust in the sterilization
The presence of biological indicators provides an additional layer of trust and efficiency in the sterilization process, ensuring that the medical instruments are safe to use.
A presença de indicadores biológicos fornece uma camada adicional de confiança na eficácia do processo de esterilização, garantindo que os instrumentos médicos estejam realmente seguros para uso.
Want to know more about sterilization? Read the following article: Simplifying MSC – Material and Sterilization Central
Conclusion
The biological indicators technology, with highlights to the products offered by us, performs a fundamental role in the optimization of the processes of sterilization of medical environments.
By offering a direct and trustworthy evaluation of the procedure, our biological indicators do not only elevate the security patterns of the patients but also ensure security concerning the rigorous regulatory requisites.
The incorporation of biological indicators improves the quality of sterilization, promoting a safer and more reliable environment for medical practice.
A incorporação dos indicadores biológicos aprimora a qualidade da esterilização, promovendo um ambiente mais seguro e confiável para a prática médica.
To know more about our indicators, click here and check!
