PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Helen Bathgate AU - David Lazzari AU - Helen Cameron AU - David Mckay TI - The Incubation Period in Sterility Testing DP - 1993 Sep 01 TA - PDA Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology PG - 254--257 VI - 47 IP - 5 4099 - http://journal.pda.org/content/47/5/254.short 4100 - http://journal.pda.org/content/47/5/254.full SO - PDA J Pharm Sci Technol1993 Sep 01; 47 AB - Sterility test results gathered over a ten year period have been analysed to determine the effects of the incubation period. Overall there was no difference between the membrane filtration test and direct inoculation in the time required for visible growth of contaminants. Growth occurred earlier if products had no preservative or antimicrobial substances. However use of the membrane filtration method did not significantly enhance the efficiency of detection at seven days incubation. Regardless of the nature of the product or the method of test an unacceptable proportion of contaminants would be missed by limiting incubation to seven days.