Free tool · Dental offices · United States
Free chemical indicator failure and reprocessing log
This free printable log is for dental offices in the United States to record each failed chemical or mechanical indicator and the reprocessing that followed. When a mechanical reading or a chemical indicator shows inadequate processing, the instrument packs in that load should not be used until they have been reprocessed (CDC, 2003 dental infection-control guidelines).
What the sources say
Each line below ends with its source in plain words.
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Monitor each load with mechanical readings, for example time, temperature and pressure, and with chemical indicators (CDC, 2003 dental infection-control guidelines).
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Mechanical monitoring involves checking the sterilizer gauges, computer displays or printouts, and documenting the sterilization pressure, temperature and exposure time in your sterilization records (CDC, Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings).
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A chemical indicator should be used inside every package, to verify that the sterilizing agent, for example steam, has penetrated the package and reached the instruments inside (CDC, Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings).
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If the internal indicator is not visible from the outside, an exterior chemical indicator is also used on the package; if the internal chemical indicator is visible, an external indicator is not needed (CDC, 2003 dental infection-control guidelines; CDC, Infection Prevention Checklist for Dental Settings; CDC, Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008).
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Instrument packs are not used when the mechanical or the chemical indicators show inadequate processing; the items in the load are reprocessed before they are used (CDC, 2003 dental infection-control guidelines; CDC, Infection Prevention Checklist for Dental Settings).
The printable log
Fill it in on screen and then press Print, or print it blank and write it in by hand. Nothing you type on this page is stored or sent anywhere.
Prints on US Letter paper, landscape.
Chemical indicator failure and reprocessing log
One sheet per sterilizer
| Date | Sterilizer | Load no. | Which indicator failed (internal / external / mechanical reading) | Packs affected | Packs held (yes) | Reprocessed as load no. | Cause found | Initials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scroll the table sideways to reach every column.
This template helps you keep records. It is not legal advice; check your state board's current rules.
How to use it
Four steps, from a blank page to a signed row for every failure.
Fill in the header
Office name, the sterilizer's label and the month or year the sheet covers.
One row for each failure
Write the date, the sterilizer and the load number, then mark which indicator failed: the internal one, the external one, or the mechanical reading.
Record the packs
How many packs were affected, that they were held, and the load number they were reprocessed as.
Cause and initials
Write the cause found, then close the row with your initials.