Sterilization is meant for instruments, gloves, and other instruments that usually get into contact with the bloodstream. Effective sterilization is essential for successful and effective laboratory work. Negligence in this area could result in severe consequences and may even be fatal to a patient’s life. Consequently, it is important for any health practitioner working in the lab to be aware of the various methods of sterilization. The most common methods include dry heat, high-pressure steam, infrared radiation, liquid chemicals, filtration, and vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP), among others.
High-pressure steam or moist heat is an effective method of clearing bacteria. It effectively attacks the pores of some bacteria thus eliminating them. The method is environmentally safe and less costly to operate.
Dry head sterilizers should be used for materials that may receive some damage in by high-pressure steam or those materials that cannot be penetrated by moist heat (IAHCSMM, 2018). It has the advantage of being nontoxic and has no environmental impact. It is easy to install a dry heat cabinet, and it has relatively low operating costs.
Infrared radiation is used to destroy bacterial spores like those of B. atrophaeus. It has the advantage that it has a short cycle time, consumes less energy, leaves no cycle residuals, and has no toxicologic and environmental effects (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2016).
According to the CDC (2016), liquid chemical sterilization is effective against a wide range of bacteria, but it is not as effective as thermal processes, including dry heat considering its penetrative power.
Filtration is another method that has been used widely to remove bacteria from thermolabile fluids that may not be purified in any other method (IAHCSMM, 2018). A uniform membrane with pores much smaller than the bacteria size is used to ensure effective filtration.
Vaporized hydrogen peroxide has been used as a sterilizer for many years. It has many appealing features, including rapid cycle time, environmental safety of the by-products, and good material compatibility (CDC, 2016).
