Ch. 17 Instrument Sterilization and Processing Flashcards
1
Q
sterilization
A
the process that kills all living microorganisms
2
Q
critical items
A
items that penetrate soft tissue and come in direct contact with bone, blood, and other body fluids. include scalpels, forceps, bone chisels
3
Q
semicritical items
A
come in contact with mucous membranes or nonintact skin and do not penetrate soft tissue or bone or enter into the bloodstream
4
Q
noncritical items
A
do not come in contact with body fluids
5
Q
instrument processing area
A
receiving/cleaning/decontamination, preparation and packaging, sterilization, storage
6
Q
autoclave
A
steam sterilizer
7
Q
flash sterilization
A
uses a quick flash of heat to sterilize the instruments
8
Q
dry heat sterilizers
A
work at high temps (320-375 F) to destroy microorganisms
