What should the infection preventionist tell the surgeon about autoclaves in operating suites for sterilizing instruments between cases?

• A. That immediate-use steam sterilization (IUSS) should be used for sterilizing instruments between cases.
• B. That IUSS should be used only in emergencies.
• C. That IUSS should not be used for sterilizing instruments between cases.
• D. That IUSS should replace standard sterilization when possible.

Answer: (C)

Immediate-use steam sterilization is meant only for urgent, unplanned instrument needs during a procedure, used right away for that same case. It is not appropriate for sterilizing instruments between cases. Why? Because between-case processing should follow standard, validated sterilization cycles with proper cleaning, wrapping or packaging, load organization, and thorough documentation plus biological indicators to confirm sterility. IUSS often bypasses these controls, which raises the risk of incomplete sterilization, instrument misidentification, and cross-patient contamination. So, the infection preventionist would emphasize that between cases, instruments should be reprocessed using the standard sterilization process rather than relying on immediate-use sterilization.