MICROPENIS PART 2 Flashcards
Sterilization
is the removal or destruction of all microorganisms and viruses on or in a product.
Sterile Item
is free of all viable microbes, including endospores but is not necessarily free of prions.
Disinfection
is the elimination of most or all pathogens on or in a material using chemicals called
disinfectants on inanimate objects (virucides, fungicides, and bactericides) or antiseptics on living
tissue.
Decontamination
reduces the number of pathogens to a safe level.
Sanitization
substantially reduces the microbial population to minimize the spread of disease.
Preservation
is the process of delaying spoilage of perishable products, including refrigeration and pasteurization, a brief heat treatment usually applied to food items that reduce the number of spoilage organisms and destroy pathogens without changing the characteristics of the product.
the type and number of microbes to be controlled
some infectious agents are highly
resistant, including bacterial endospores, protozoan cysts and oocysts, Mycobacterium and Pseudomonas species, and non-enveloped viruses. The time it takes to kill a microbial
population depends in part on the number of cells present. It takes more time to kill a large
population than to kill a small population, because only a fraction of organisms die during a
given time interval.
environmental conditions
dirt, grease and body fluids can affect antimicrobial procedures. Bacteria in biofilms are often resistant. Temperature and pH impact effectiveness of
procedures.
risks for infection
medical instruments are categorized as critical, semi-critical or non-critical according to their risks of transmitting infectious agents.
Moist heat
denatures proteins. Relatively fast, reliable, safe, and inexpensive.
Boiling
Boiling for 5 minutes destroys most microorganisms and viruses but not
endospores.
Pasteurization
Significantly decreases the numbers of heat-sensitive microorganisms, including spoilage microbes and pathogens (except endospore
formers).
Autoclaving
destroys all infectious agents including endospores.
Dry heat
destroys cell components and denatures proteins.
Incineration
burns cell components to ashes
Dry heat ovens
less efficient and requires longer time
Filtration
o filters retain microbes while allowing the suspending fluid or air to pass through
small holes.
o Membrane filters are used for fluids. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are
used for air.
Irradiation
o Ionizing radiation: Destroys DNA and damages membranes. Includes gamma rays and
X rays.
o Ultraviolet radiation: Damages DNA but penetrates poorly.
o Microwaves: Kill by heat rather than radiation.
High pressure
Denatures proteins and alters cell permeability.
Sterilant
destroy all microbes including endospores and viruses.