What device is used for sterilization by moist heat under pressure?

What device is used for sterilization by moist heat under pressure?

• A. Autoclave
• B. Incinerator
• C. Oven
• D. Sterilizer

Answer: (A)

Moist heat under pressure sterilizes by using saturated steam to kill microbes. The added pressure lets the steam reach higher temperatures, which denatures proteins and disrupts cell structures more effectively than dry heat, making it reliable for sterilizing instruments and materials that can tolerate moisture. The device that does this best is the autoclave, which delivers steam at elevated pressure in controlled cycles (for example, around 121°C at 15 psi for about 15 minutes). This combination of moisture, heat, and pressure makes sterilization faster and more thorough than other methods. Incinerators use flame and dry combustion, ovens use dry heat without moisture, and a generic sterilizer doesn’t specify the moist-heat-under-pressure process.

Moist heat under pressure sterilizes by using saturated steam to kill microbes. The added pressure lets the steam reach higher temperatures, which denatures proteins and disrupts cell structures more effectively than dry heat, making it reliable for sterilizing instruments and materials that can tolerate moisture. The device that does this best is the autoclave, which delivers steam at elevated pressure in controlled cycles (for example, around 121°C at 15 psi for about 15 minutes). This combination of moisture, heat, and pressure makes sterilization faster and more thorough than other methods. Incinerators use flame and dry combustion, ovens use dry heat without moisture, and a generic sterilizer doesn’t specify the moist-heat-under-pressure process.