Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the population and resistance characteristics of bacterial spores which have been exposed to an abbreviated steam sterilization cycle. The philosophy of many pharmaceutical manufacturers is to require a second complete terminal sterilization cycle in the event of an unplanned interruption during the terminal sterilization of a production batch. The impact of abbreviated steam sterilization cycles was examined for their effect on the survivability and resistance of bacterial spores following an inadequate sterilization cycle. Steam sterilization cycles of two minutes and four minutes were performed on separate groups of Biological Indicator spore strips. These groups were then held at room temperature and re-exposed to a range of sterilization conditions after 24, 48, and 72 hours, i.e., start cycle, abort, hold, start cycle, abort. Spore survivor curves were calculated and resistance estimations were determined. The results of the study indicated that the log level of the surviving spores remained fairly constant, but variability within groups increased as sterilization time increased. The resistance of these surviving spores, as measured by D value, also remained relatively constant throughout the holding period. Abbreviated cycles were similarly conducted on ampules containing a spore suspension, and the spore populations and moist heat resistances were determined over time. Contrary to the spore strip, the population of the subject ampules was less stable showing a gradual decline over the same observation period. The study also included a comparison of the surviving population of short and long fragmented cycles. The results of this study demonstrate that a second complete sterilization cycle is unnecessary to assure the absence of living matter in the sterilized units.
Footnotes
- Received September 15, 1998.
- Accepted June 15, 1998.
- Copyright © Parenteral Drug Association. All rights reserved.
PDA members receive access to all articles published in the current year and previous volume year. Institutional subscribers received access to all content. Log in below to receive access to this article if you are either of these.
If you are neither or you are a PDA member trying to access an article outside of your membership license, then you must purchase access to this article (below). If you do not have a username or password for JPST, you will be required to create an account prior to purchasing.
Full issue PDFs are for PDA members only.
Note to pda.org users
The PDA and PDA bookstore websites (www.pda.org and www.pda.org/bookstore) are separate websites from the PDA JPST website. When you first join PDA, your initial UserID and Password are sent to HighWirePress to create your PDA JPST account. Subsequent UserrID and Password changes required at the PDA websites will not pass on to PDA JPST and vice versa. If you forget your PDA JPST UserID and/or Password, you can request help to retrieve UserID and reset Password below.