Part of the medical assistant's responsibility is to run the autoclave to sterilize instruments, and once a week the MA should include a biological sterilization indicator with a load as a general quality control measure. Today, she notices that the biological indicator from yesterday's load is positive. What does a positive result mean?
A) The proper temperature was not reached
B) The pressure in the autoclave was not high enough
C) There was not enough steam in the autoclave
D) The water reservoir on the autoclave is running low
E) The items in that load are not sterile

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A positive result on a biological sterilization indicator means that the sterilization process was ineffective, and the items in that load are not sterile. This could be due to a variety of reasons such as improper temperature, pressure, or steam levels, but the indicator specifically shows that sterilization did not occur as intended.

Part of the Medical Assistant's Responsibility Is to Run the Autoclave