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The use of spore strips for monitoring the sterilization of bottled fluids

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

J. B. Selkon
Affiliation:
Regional Public Health Laboratory, General Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE4 6BE
Penelope R. Sisson
Affiliation:
Regional Public Health Laboratory, General Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE4 6BE
H. R. Ingham
Affiliation:
Regional Public Health Laboratory, General Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE4 6BE
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Summary

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A bacterial spore test has been developed which enables the efficacy of the sterilizing cycle recommended by the British Pharmaceutical Codex (1973) for bottled fluids to be accurately monitored. During a 14-month period this test detected faults in 3.3% of the sterilizing cycles, representing five distinct episodes of sterilization failure that passed unnoticed by the conventional controls of physical measurements and sterility testing. There were no failures of sterilization as detected by conventional techniques which were not indicated by the spore test.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

References

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