Which statement describes the difference between a Class II biological safety cabinet and a containment isolator in HD work?

• A. A BSC provides laminar airflow and filtration for sterile HDs; a containment isolator is an enclosed glove box for contained HD handling, often used for non-sterile or sterile work, depending on design
• B. A BSC is enclosed; a containment isolator uses negative pressure
• C. A BSC is used for non-sterile only
• D. They are the same

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how containment and clean-air control differ between these two devices. A Class II biological safety cabinet creates a controlled, laminar airflow with HEPA filtration to keep the work area sterile and to protect both the drug and the operator; the airflow pattern and filtration are purpose-built for sterile HD compounding and for minimizing exposure during handling. A containment isolator, by contrast, is a sealed glove box that encloses the entire work area and uses integrated gloves to manipulate materials, providing containment by enclosure. Whether sterile conditions are maintained inside an isolator depends on its design, so it can be used for either non-sterile or sterile work.

So the statement is correct because it contrasts the BSC’s laminar-flow, filtration-based sterile environment with the isolator’s enclosed containment approach, noting that the isolator’s sterility applicability depends on design.