3M™ Attest™ Rapid Readout Biological Indicator Steam Pack 1296

Competency Assessment for use of the 3M™ Attest™Rapid Readout Biological Indicator SteamPack 1296
in conjunction with the3M™ Attest™ Auto-reader 290 or 390

Employee Name:______Date:______

Facility: ______Dept: ______
Assessor’s Name: ______Employee Competent? Yes No

Observation Checklist

Task / Demonstrates Competency
The 1296steam pack is placed flat, with label side up, on the bottom shelf, over the drain, in full sterilizer
Steam pack is run in an appropriate cycle [250°F (121°C) gravity ≥ 40 minutes or 270°F (132°C) pre-vacuum ≥4 minutessteam sterilization cycle]
1296steam pack is retrieved from sterilizer and external process indicator is checked to verify it has turned brown or darker
1296steam pack is opened, coil is slipped off 1292 BI and BI is allowed to cool outside pack for 10 minutes
Safety glasses are donned
The process indicator on the 1292 BI label is checked to confirm it has changed from rose to brown
1292 BI is identified (i.e., load #, sterilizer #, and date are written on BI label)
1292 BI is activated following these steps: BI cap is closed, BI is placed in Auto-reader crusher well and media ampoule is crushed, BI is tapped on hard surface to distribute growth media
BI is placed in incubation well that is color-coded brown in Attest™ Auto-reader Model 290 or Model 390
User verifies Auto-reader has recognized placement of BI in incubation well (as indicated by yellow light on Model 290 or
180 minute countdown time on Model 390)
Test BI result, as indicated on Auto-reader, is correctly interpreted
Test BI lot # and result are documented according to facility policy
Control BI lot # and result are documented or user verifies a control BI (having the same lot # as the test BI) result has already been documented for the day

(Please turn over for Written Assessment component of competency)

Written Assessment

  1. Biological indicators (BIs) are used to assess the lethality of a sterilization cycle.
    True
    False
  2. For steam sterilizers, our facility’s policy is to run a BI process challenge device (BI PCD), such as the Attest™ 1296 Steam Pack:
    a) In every load
    b) Daily and in every implant load
    c) Weeklyand in every implant load
    d) Other
  3. According to AAMI ST79, BIs used to monitor steam sterilizers should contain spores of which microorganism?
    a) Bacillus atrophaeus
    b) Geobacillusstearothermophilus
    c) Clostridium difficile
  4. A control 1292 BI, having the same lot # as the test packs, should be placed in each Auto-reader at what frequency?
    a. Daily and whenever a box having a new lot number is opened
    b. Weekly
    c. Once/box of biological indicators or test packs
  5. After a successful sterilization cycle, the Attest™1292 BI requires ___of incubation before a negative result (indicated by a green light displayed under the incubating BI in an Auto-reader 290 or a ‘-‘ symbol shown on the Auto-reader 390 LCD display):
    a. 30 minutes
    b. 1 hour
    c. 3 hours
    d. 48 hours
  6. A positive result(red light on the Auto-reader 290 or ‘+‘ symbolon the Auto-reader 390 LCD display) for a 1292 BI from a processed 1296 Steam Pack indicates:
    a. a failed sterilization cycle
    b. a successful sterilization cycle
  7. When a positive result occurs for a processed BI, and the cause of the failure cannot be immediately identified:
    a. No action is necessary
    b. That load should be quarantined.
    c. The sterilizer should be removed from service, all items processed in the sterilizer since the last cycle having a negative BI result should be recalled, and the supervisor should be notified.

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