Description

Proper cleaning and disinfection/sterilization of devices and surfaces are critical to safely providing care to patients in healthcare facilities. This lecture will provide healthcare personnel with a comprehensive overview of when and how sterilants and disinfectants should be used with a focus on critical instruments/devices (i.e., enter sterile body tissue), semi-critical devices (i.e., have contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin) and non-critical devices and surfaces (i.e., have contact only with intact skin). The following will also be discussed: the ideal disinfectant, monitoring cleaning effectiveness of surfaces, no touch methods of room disinfection, and how to manage a breach in proper disinfection/sterilization of medical instruments.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the properties of the ideal disinfectant
• Understand the advantages and disadvantage of disinfectants/sterilants for use with critical, semi-critical, and non-critical devices and surfaces
• Understand the Spaulding classification and its use in selecting disinfectants and sterilization methods in healthcare facilities