title: Sterilization, high-level disinfection, and environmental cleaning.
abstract: Failure to perform proper disinfection and sterilization of medical devices may lead to introduction of pathogens, resulting in infection. New techniques have been developed for achieving high-level disinfection and adequate environmental cleanliness. This article examines new technologies for sterilization and high-level disinfection of critical and semicritical items, respectively, and because semicritical items carry the greatest risk of infection, the authors discuss reprocessing semicritical items such as endoscopes and automated endoscope reprocessors, endocavitary probes, prostate biopsy probes, tonometers, laryngoscopes, and infrared coagulation devices. In addition, current issues and practices associated with environmental cleaning are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Health Care, Chapel Hill, 101 Manning Drive, NC 27514, USA. brutala@unch.unc.edu
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Rutala
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D013242:Sterilization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards