Understanding Bowie-Dick Testing: Purpose and Usage in Daily Sterilization Practice

How often should the Bowie-Dick test be run?

A. Weekly

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B. Monthly

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C. Daily before the first processed load

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D. During routine maintenance

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2. The Bowie-Dick test is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the air removal system of which kind of steam sterilizer?

A. Gravity-displacement

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B. Prevacuum

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C. Both a and b

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3. The Bowie-Dick test is designed to detect residual air in the sterilizer chamber due to:

A. Inadequate air removal

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B. Air leaks

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C. Non-condensable gases in the steam

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D. All of the above

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4. The appropriate placement of a Bowie-Dick test in the sterilizer is:

A. On the floor over the drain

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B. On a basket over the drain

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C. Horizontally, label side up, on the bottom shelf of the sterilizer rack, over the drain in the first full load of the day

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D. Horizontally, label side up, on the bottom shelf of the sterilizer rack, over the drain in an otherwise empty chamber

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5. It is recommended for the sterilizer to be properly heated before running the Bowie-Dick test to ensure accurate results and avoid false failures.

A. True

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B. False

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6. To save time, it is acceptable to run the Bowie-Dick test pack in the same cycle as the biological indicator test pack.

A. True

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B. False

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7. When running the Bowie-Dick test, the sterilizer should be programmed to run which of the following cycles?

A. 270-273ºF prevacuum for 4 minutes or longer with 20 minute dry time

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B. 270-273ºF prevacuum for 3 ½ – 4 minutes with ≤ 1 minute dry time

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C. 270-273ºF gravity-displacement for 3 ½ – 4 minutes with 1 minute dry time

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8. If the Bowie-Dick test result shows a FAIL (x), what should you do?

A. Use the sterilizer and schedule routine maintenance

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B. Take the sterilizer out of use and notify your supervisor

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C. Ignore the result

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9. If a major repair of the sterilizer is required, qualification testing should be conducted before the sterilizer is put back into routine use.

A. True

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B. False

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10. During sterilizer qualification testing, the Bowie-Dick test is:

A. Run in three consecutive cycles after running three consecutive biological indicator process challenge device cycles

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B. Run in three consecutive cycles before running three consecutive biological indicator process challenge device cycles

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C. Run once

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D. Not needed

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Understanding Bowie-Dick Testing: Purpose and Usage in Daily Sterilization Practice

Understanding Bowie-Dick Testing: Purpose and Usage in Daily Sterilization Practice

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