2024年5月11日发(作者：)

Education&Training

WhatToDo

Bowie-DickTest

k,BSEE,MBA,RAC

WhenYouHavea

Problem

Objectives

Manythankstotheteam

at3MHealthCareforworking

withManagingInfectionControl

toprovidethefollowing

Mhas

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TheCBSPDhaspre-approved

thisinservicefor1contacthour

foraperiodoffive(5)yearsfrom

inserviceis3MHealthCare

Providerapprovedbythe

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Nurses,CEP5770for1contact

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ctionsfor

submittingresultsareonpage78.

ManagingInfectionControl

and3MHealthCarewillbe

workingcollaborativelyto

providecontinuingeducation

coursesinmonthlyeditionsof

ManagingInfectionControl.

1,

2,

3,

4,

After completion of this self-study activity, the learner will be able to:

DiscusstheprocessofassessingaBowie-DickTestfailure.

DescribecommoncausesofBowie-DickTestfailures.

DescribethestepstobetakenwheninvestigatingaBowie-Dick

Testfailure.

Understandtheresponsibilitiesofthoseinvolvedininvestigatinga

Bowie-DickTestfailure.

TrueorFalse

TheoperatorisresponsibleforinvestigatingaBowie-DickTe s t

failure.

The sterilizer should always be taken out of service immediately upon

observingaBowie-DickTestfailure.

TheBowie-DickTestisthestandardtestusedtoevaluatetheair

removalsystemsofdynamicairremovalsteamsterilizers.

The Bowie-Dick Test is a visual indication that the air removal system

hasdeterioratedinperformanceandshouldbecorrectedbeforea

sterilizationproblemisindicatedbyapositivebiologicalindicator.

Bowie-DickTestfailureisindicatedwhenthetestsheetresultis

non-uniforminappearance.

OnlycommerciallyavailableBowie-DickTestPacksshouldbeused.

Themaintenanceorservicetechniciancanalwaysaccuratelyassess

thesterilizercontrolsaffectingtheoutcomeoftheBowie-DickTest.

Thehospitalsteamgenerationanddistributionsystemmayinfluence

theoutcomeofaBowie-DickTest.

SterilizerswithbuiltinsteamgeneratorsneverexperienceBowie-

DickTestfailures.

AllBowie-DickTestresultsshouldberecordedandsaved.

TestQuestions

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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10.

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MANAGINGINFECTIONCONTROLJANUARY2005

Education&Training

Introduction

Therecommendedpracticefordynamicairremoval

steamsterilizersistoevaluatetheefficacyoftheairremoval

c

airremovalsterilizersusevariousmeans,includingvacuum

andpulsingtechniques,toremoveairfromtheload.T h e

Bowie-DickTestisthestandardtestusedforthisevaluation.

TheBowie-Dick Testwas developed to detectair leaksand to

evaluatetheabilityoftheairremovalsystemtoreduceair

residualswithinthesterilizationchambertoanacceptable

tanabsoluteairmeasurementsystem.T h e

Bowie-Dick Testisavisualindicatortestthatmaybeusedas

apredictoroffutureproblemsinthatanyunsatisfactory

outcomemaybeanticipatedtogetworsewithcontinueduse

ofthesterilizer.

TheBowie-DickTest

TheBowie-DickTestisaClass2ChemicalIndicator

havingthespecialpurposeofevaluatingtheefficacyof

aluating

Bowie-DickTestresultsaccordingtotheAssociationforthe

AdvancementofMedicalInstrumentation(AAMI)ST46Good

HospitalPractice:SteamSterilizationandSterilityAssurance,

2002documentwenotethatunsatisfactorytestresultsoccur

when“Anyunexpectedcolorchange…indicatesthatthere

wasanairpocketpresentduringthecycleduetosterilizer

icationofamalfunctionmustbereported

to the supervisor on duty, who will determine the disposition of

,whetheritshouldberetested,serviced,or

remaininuse.”

TheBowie-DickTestisnottobeconsideredabiological

tendedonlytoforewarntheuserthat

theairremovalsystemhasdeterioratedinperformanceand

shouldbecorrectedbeforesterilizationproblemsoccuras

sreason,it

maynotbenecessarytoremoveasterilizerfromservicesolely

onthebasisofanunsatisfactoryBowie-DickTestresult.

Rather,acompleteinvestigationofthecausesforthoseresults

should be undertaken as long as the sterilizer continues to yield

satisfactorybiologicalindicatortestresults.

JANUARY2005MANAGINGINFECTIONCONTROL

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