Final answer:
Surgical packs are typically sterilized using an autoclave, a device that employs moist-heat sterilization, effectively eliminating all forms of microbial life, including endospores.
Step-by-step explanation:
Most surgical packs are prepared for surgery using moist-heat sterilization, commonly achieved with an autoclave. Autoclaves are essential in medical settings because they use steam at high pressures to achieve temperatures above the boiling point of water, effectively sterilizing surgical equipment from vegetative cells, viruses, and particularly endospores which are known to survive boiling temperatures. Charles Chamberland designed the modern autoclave in 1879, and it still stands as the most effective method of sterilization today.
The reason why autoclaves are preferred over dry-heat sterilization methods is due to their superior ability to penetrate and destroy all forms of microbial life, including those robust enough to resist other forms of heat treatment. Although other methods such as ethylene oxide gas can sterilize heat-sensitive items, the autoclave is preferred for its efficiency and effectiveness in creating a sterile environment free from potential infection-causing agents.