The most commonly available Pre-vac steam sterilization cycle for wrapped items operates at 132 °C using a high-speed vacuum to remove air and ensure steam penetration, resulting in effective sterilization.
The most commonly available Dynamic-air-removal (Pre-vac) steam sterilization cycle for wrapped items is 132 °C for approximately 20 minutes at a pressure of 15 to 20 pounds per square inch (psi).
Typically, prevacuum sterilizers use a high-speed vacuum to completely remove air before introducing steam into the chamber, allowing the steam to easily penetrate wrapped items. This helps ensure the complete sterilization of the materials, which is necessary for destroying all vegetative cells, endospores, and viruses, making it highly effective compared to gravity displacement autoclaves, where complete air displacement is more challenging, especially for larger loads.
So, the Pre-vac process is crucial for sterilizing packaged instruments in a clinical or laboratory setting.