Medical Device Reprocessing Association of Ontario (MDRAO) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The correct function of the baffle in a sterilizer is to disperse steam and cover the steam inlet. The baffle plays a crucial role in ensuring that steam is evenly distributed throughout the sterilization chamber. By dispersing the steam, it promotes more effective heat transfer to all surfaces of the instruments or materials being sterilized. This uniform distribution helps to achieve consistent and effective sterilization results, as every item exposed to the steam is treated equally without creating pockets of unsterilized areas.

Additionally, by covering the steam inlet, the baffle helps to control the flow of steam into the chamber, preventing direct blasts that could lead to uneven heating or turbulence, which can affect the efficacy of the sterilization process. This is critical, especially in ensuring that all instruments are adequately heated and exposed to the sterilizing agent for the necessary amount of time to eliminate any potential pathogens.

While draining excess moisture is essential for the drying phase after sterilization, it is not the primary role of the baffle. The removal of air at the end of the cycle is often managed by other components in the sterilization process, such as a vacuum pump, and heating the chamber is typically achieved through a different mechanism, usually involving electric or steam heating elements rather than