Naris
Naris
User’s
Manual V14 14/02/20 Page 52 of 52
APPEDNIX 4: DEFINITIONS FOR CLEANING/DISINFECTING/STERILIZING
High Risk
Items in close contact with a break in the skin or mucous membrane or introduced into a
normally sterile body area, e.g. surgical instruments, syringes & needles, intrauterine
devices and associated equipment, dressings, urinary and other catheters -
sterilisation
is
required.
Medium Risk
Items in contact with intact mucous membranes, e.g. respiratory equipment, gastroscopes,
or other items contaminated with particularly virulent or readily transmissible organisms, or
if the item is to be used on highly susceptible patients -
disinfection
required.
Low Risk
Items in contact with normal and intact skin, eg stethoscopes, washing bowls -
cleaning
and
drying usually adequate.
To define the terms within the definitions above:
Sterilisation
is a process used to reduce an object free from all living organisms.
Disinfection
is a process used to reduce the number of microorganisms but not usually of
bacterial spores: the process does not necessarily kill or remove all microorganisms, but
reduces them to a level which is not harmful to health.
Cleaning
is a process, which removes contaminants including dust, soil, large numbers of
microorganisms and the organic matter (eg faeces, blood), which protects them. Cleaning is
an always useful, sometimes essential, prerequisite to disinfection and sterilisation.
Decontamination
is a general term for the destruction or removal of microbial
contamination to render an item safe. This will include methods of cleaning, disinfection
and sterilisation.
