Involves washing with cool water and detergent (<45ᵒ).

Can be
done by automated machine (including ultrasound cleaners) or Cleaning Items that enter sterile tissue eg surgical
manually. It lowers the bioburden before disinfection/sterilisation Critical items instruments, cardiac catheters, implants,
needles

Contact mucous membranes eg

Done using gluteraldehyde, hydrogen Spaulding classification
Chemical Semi-critical items laryngoscopes, fibre-optic endoscopes. They
peroxide, peracetic acid, alcohol. require high level disinfection

Hot water at 77ᵒ for 30 mins. Spores not killed. Pasteurisation

Come in contact with healthy skin eg BP cuff,
Non-critical items
pulse oximetry
Pseudomonas, klebsiella and mycobacterium
Disinfection
can be transmitted. The external surface is
washed and rinsed, internal channels are
CEACCP
brushed and flushed with detergent. Cleaning Physical removal of foreign material
Detachable parts are removed and soaked in Endoscopes
detergent. They are pressure tested to Decontamination
determin integrity of seals before immersion to A process destroying contamination such that
reduce the risk of damage to the head of the they cannot reach a susceptible site in sufficient
scope Decontamination
quantities to initiate a harmful response. It is
followed by disinfection or decontamination.

A process that eliminates many or all

Steam at 121 or 134ᵒ for 15 or 3 mins respectively Steam Terminology Disinfection
pathogens except bacterial spores.

Ethylene oxide 29-65ᵒ for 5-12 hrs Chemical which kills bacteria, viruses and
High-level disinfection spores. Only sporicidal under certain
Sterilisation conditions
Gluteraldehyde 2% for >10 hrs
Chemical

Renders an object completely free of all viable

Gas plasma has ionised gas and free radicals Sterilisation
microbial life
capable of inactivating microbes in 75 mins
/Decontamination/CEACCP
http://ceaccp.oxfordjournals.org/content/4/4/103.full.pdf