Antisepsis, sterilization, disinfection Flashcards
Define steralization
a process that destroys or eliminates all froms of microbial life
How is sterilization carried out in healthcare facilities?
physical or chemical methods
Define disinfection
a process that eliminates many or all pathogenic microorganisms, except bacterial spores, on inanimate objects
Define antisepsis
reduction or microorganisms on lving tissu and skin
Describe the limitations of antiseptics
Do not kill spores and cannot be used as disinfectants
How is disinfection categorized?
High level disinfection, intermediate level disinfection and low level disinfection
Define high level disinfection
Destroys all micro-organisms except high numbers of bacterial spores
What is HLD used for?
heat sensitive semi-critical intems like GI scopes and brochoscopes
Define Intermediate level disinfection
destroys vegitative bacteria, mycobacteria, most viruses, most fungi, but not bacterial spores
What is intermediate level disinfection used for?
non critical patient care items and surfaces with visible blood
Define low level disinfection
destroys vegetative bacteria, some fungi and viruses but not mycobacteria or spores
What is low level disinfection used for?
non critical patient care items and surfaces without visible blood
Please give two examples of HLD
Pasteurization and liquid emersion
-cidal? -static?
kills microorganisms. inhibits growth of microorganisms
Define decontamination
removal of debris, blood, and proteins. it does not necessarily render the device, “safe to handle”
What is the goal in a hospital?
Reduce the organisms to a safe level
What are critical items?
Items that enter normally sterile parts of the human body,
What is the preferred method of cleaning for critical items?
sterilization
What are some examples of critical items?
implants, invasive monitoring devices, surgical instruments
What are semicritical items?
items that come into contact with mucous membranes or nonintact skin and should be free or microorganisms except spores
How should semicritical items be cleaned?
with HLD
What are examples of HDL?
gluteraldehyde, stabilized hydrogen peroxide, peracetic aid, a chlorine compound
What are examples of semicritical items?
endoscopes, laryngoscope blades, esophageal probes, RT and anesthesia equiptment
What are non-critical items?
items that come into contact with intact skin by not mucous membranes
What are some examples of non-critical items?
bedpans, bp cuffs, crutches. computers
Name common disinfetion and sterilization methods
1- Steam (autoclaving) 2- Ethylene oxide gans 3- Gas plasma (hydrogen peroxide or a mixutre of hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid) 4- Liquid sterilization 5- Alcohols 6- Quats 7- Chlorines
What is alcohol best for
intermediate level and low level disinfection and antisepsis
What are common disinfectats for living tissue?
alcohols chlorhexidine lodophors Heavy metals Triclosan
What are the advantages of quats?
Non staining and relatively nontoxic, and they act as detergents as well as disinfectants
What is a drawback to ethylene oxide?
ETP is txic, carcinogenic and flammable and needs aeration time
What are the draw backs to gas plasma?
some endoscopes or medical devices with log or narrow lumens cannot be cleaned
What is liquid sterilizaiton used for/
Point-of-use system and used for immersible instruments only
What is the drawbacks to alcohols?
cannot penetrate protein rich materials and are flammable
To what method do some organisms have resistnace genes?
Quats
What are quats not effective against?
spores and tuberculosis
what are quats typically used for?
non critical surfaces
What is the drawback to chlorines?
solutions are unstable once diluted
What is trislocan used in? Problems with it?
skin care products. there is some resistance to it.
Are heavy metals bacteriocidal or -static?
-static only
What are heavy metals used for?
Topical wounds
What are iodophores used for?
antisepsis of skin, mucous membranes and wound sites
How long does chlorhexidine work for?
up to 6 hours after administration
