Sterilizing Pencils

Abstract

Response. Thank you for your comments about the “Clinical Issues” question regarding sterilizing wooden pencils. The research you refer to was referenced in the answer provided in the column mentioned. As noted, the study compared the efficacy of dry heat sterilization with steam sterilization for wooden pencils. The first group of wooden pencils was sterilized in a dry heat sterilizer at 160° C (320° F) for 18 hours, and the second group was sterilized for five minutes at 270° C (518° F) in a gravity steam sterilizer. The dry heat method showed no bacterial growth in all pencils processed by that method, while the pencils sterilized by the steam method showed bacterial growth in 37% of the pencils processed. The conclusion drawn from this single study was that dry heat was more effective than steam sterilization for wooden pencils. The sample size was not described in the article, and the results were limited to the particular conditions of the study. Dry heat sterilization requires a special type of sterilizer that may not be available in a health care facility. If the facility possesses such a sterilizer, it most often is found in the laboratory. There are different types of dry heat sterilizers and processing methods. Dry heat sterilizers are either manual or automated. Some use a simple batch method, and others use very high temperatures with forced air convection. Process variables associated with dry heat sterilization are temperature, time, airflow rate, air distribution, and load configuration. The most important variable is the temperature. As the temperature is increased, exposure time is reduced.1 The type of dry heat sterilizer may affect the compatibility of sterilizing a wooden pencil by dry heat. Like many other facets of perioperative practice, more research is needed on this topic. At this time, AORN does not recommend sterilizing wooden pencils.