8-Sterile Techniques/Disinfection

Question 1

What is sterilization?

Answer 1

i. Sterilization is the total destruction of all microbes, including the more resilient forms such as bacterial spores, mycobacteria, nonenveloped viruses and fungi.

Question 2

What are some examples of sterilization?

Answer 2

ii. Examples: UV radiation, formaldehyde gas, hydrogen peroxide vapors, plasma gas, peracetic acid and glutaraldehyde.

Question 3

What is disinfection?

Answer 3

i. Disinfection is the process where microbes are destroyed although more resilient organisms can survive.

Question 4

What is antisepsis?

Answer 4

i. Antiseptic agents are used to reduce the total number of microbes on the skin surfaces.

Question 5

What are some examples of antiseptics?

Answer 5

Examples: alcohol (ethyl, isopropyl), iodophors, chlorhexidine, parachlorometaxylenol, and triclosan.

Question 6

What is high-level disinfection?

Answer 6

a. High-level disinfection is used for items involved with invasive procedures but cannot undergo the sterilization process because they are made of plastic or some other material. Examples: gluteraldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, peractic acid, and chlorine compounds.

Question 7

What is intermediate-level disinfection?

Answer 7

b. Intermediate-level disinfectants are used to clean surfaces of instuments in which contamination with bacterial spores and other highly resilient organisms is unlikely. Examples: alcohols, iodophor compounds, phenolic compounds.

Question 8

What is low-level disinfection?

Answer 8

c. Low-level disinfectants are used to treat noncritical instruments and devices like blood pressure cuffs, EKG electrodes and stethoscopes. Example: quaternary ammonium compounds.