Taber's Medical Dictionary
Bowie-Dick test
(bō′ē-dik′ )
A technique in the flash sterilization of surgical instruments to ensure that residual air in the sterilizer has been removed before the equipment is used. The test is performed daily before any loads are sterilized. Sterilization must occur at 270° F (132° C) for 3.5 or 4 minutes without a drying phase. The results must be interpreted immediately to ensure accuracy.
Citation
Venes, Donald, editor. "Bowie-Dick Test." Taber's Medical Dictionary, 25th ed., F.A. Davis Company, 2025. Nursing Central, nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/752700/all/Bowie_Dick_test.
Bowie-Dick test. In: Venes DD, ed. Taber's Medical Dictionary. F.A. Davis Company; 2025. https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/752700/all/Bowie_Dick_test. Accessed May 6, 2025.
Bowie-Dick test. (2025). In Venes, D. (Ed.), Taber's Medical Dictionary (25th ed.). F.A. Davis Company. https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/752700/all/Bowie_Dick_test
Bowie-Dick Test [Internet]. In: Venes DD, editors. Taber's Medical Dictionary. F.A. Davis Company; 2025. [cited 2025 May 06]. Available from: https://nursing.unboundmedicine.com/nursingcentral/view/Tabers-Dictionary/752700/all/Bowie_Dick_test.
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