title: Reprocessing semicritical items: Current issues and new technologies.
abstract: Semicritical medical devices are defined as items that come into contact with mucous membranes or nonintact skin (eg, gastrointestinal endoscopes, endocavitary probes). Such medical devices minimally require high-level disinfection. Because many of these items are temperature sensitive, low-temperature chemical methods are usually used rather than steam sterilization. Strict adherence to current guidelines is required because more outbreaks have been linked to inadequately cleaned or disinfected endoscopes and other semicritical items undergoing high-level disinfection than any other reusable medical device.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Health Care, Chapel Hill, NC; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC. Electronic address: brutala@unch.unc.edu.
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Rutala
authors.affiliation: Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Health Care, Chapel Hill, NC; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D004864:Equipment and Supplies / Q000382:microbiology*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans
keywords: Endoscopes; cystoscopes; disinfection; semicritical; sterilization