title: Cleaning and disinfection of patient care items, in relation to small animals.
abstract: Patient care involves several medical and surgical items, including those that come into contact with sterile or other high-risk body sites and items that have been used on other patients. These situations create a risk for infection if items are contaminated, and the implications can range from single infections to large outbreaks. To minimize the risk, proper equipment cleaning, disinfection/sterilization, storage, and monitoring practices are required. Risks posed by different items; the required level of cleaning, disinfection, or sterilization; the methods that are available and appropriate; and how to ensure efficacy, must be considered when designing and implementing an infection control program.
authors.affiliation: Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1, Canada. Electronic address: jsweese@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: J Scott
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Weese
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D004203:Disinfection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005791:Patient Care / Q000662:veterinary*; D013242:Sterilization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Cleaning; Disinfection; Equipment; Sterilization