title: Disinfection and flash sterilization in the operating room.
abstract: Items that enter sterile tissue or the vascular system are considered critical items and must be sterile. Semicritical items are those objects that come in contact with mucous membranes or with skin that is not intact; they require high-level disinfection. Noncritical items come in contact with intact skin and require low-level disinfection. Flash sterilization is overused in hospitals. Control measures should be used to minimize infections traced to sterilizer failure.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Rutala
mesh_terms: D004202:Disinfectants; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D009871:Operating Room Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants