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Cleaning, disinfection and sterilization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 January 2010

Matthew E. Cross  and
Emma V. E. Plunkett
Matthew E. Cross
Affiliation:
Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth
Emma V. E. Plunkett
Affiliation:
St Mary's Hospital, London
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Summary

Maintaining cleanliness and sterility is involved in everyday practice but, for the most part, is not under the direct control of anaesthetists. Nevertheless, a familiarity will be expected with the main definitions and methods of achieving adequate cleanliness.

Cleaning

The process of physically removing foreign material from an object without necessarily destroying any infective material.

Disinfection

The process of rendering an object free from all pathogenic organisms except bacterial spores.

Sterilization

The process of rendering an object completely free of all viable infectious agents including bacterial spores.

Decontamination

The process of removing contaminants such that they are unable to reach a site in sufficient quantities to initiate an infection or other harmful reaction.

The process of decontamination always starts with cleaning and is followed by either disinfection or sterilization.

Type
Chapter
Information
Physics, Pharmacology and Physiology for Anaesthetists
Key Concepts for the FRCA
 , pp. 76 - 77
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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