Steam sterilizers are the most prevalent sterilization devices in use today. They're also the most likely to be affected by errors of familiarity. Think about it. Your staff activates the steam autoclave, hears the reassuring whoosh of steam entering its chamber and moves on to prepare the next set of instrument packs. But do they really know what makes the device tick? Can they recognize potential problems before they jeopardize instrument sterilization and patient safety?