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In the May 2007 self-study series, "Cracking the Steam Sterilizer Door: Dispelling the Myth" it was stated that a load should be taken out of the sterilizer as soon as it’s completed, that the cracked-door technique should not be used. A question was asked in the June 2007 CS Questions, CS Answers, about cracking the door or taking the loads out immediately and the response was that it is not a good idea to remove hot items from the sterilizer immediately after the cycle ends. We would appreciate some clarification on this matter.

Thank you.

I’m confused and I’m hoping for some help clarifying whether to crack the sterilizer door for 15 minutes after the process ends or not. In the past we did crack the door for the 15 minutes, then a new manager comes along and in the name of productivity said ‘no, I don’t think that needs to happen.’ Then later on a new manager comes along and here recently we began to have moisture droplet on our blue wrap. After asking for help from our maintenance department and [vendor field service personnel], they all said we needed to begin to crack the door for 15 minutes again. Although that did not solve the moisture droplet problem we continued to do it because they all said we needed to.

On my flight to California recently I read an article from the May 2007 issue of Healthcare Purchasing News, written by STERIS, regarding "Cracking the steam sterilizer door". It clearly describes this technique as a "sacred cow" and [stated that it] is not necessary. Before we got a chance to move to this process again…I read another article from Healthcare Purchasing News June 2007, written by Ray Taurasi clearing stating this process was necessary to prevent condensation, to "allow for some stabilization and balance of temperature".

So, the question remains, is it necessary to crack the door for 15 minutes, or is it truly a "scared Cow"? Am I misunderstanding these articles or are they conflicting?

Thank you.