What Needs to Be Disinfected When?

Are you familiar with the Spaulding classification system? It was created more than 30 years ago as an approach to disinfection and sterilization of healthcare items and equipment and it remains the gold standard today. The system breaks items down into three categories: critical, semicritical and noncritical. Items are categorized based on the risk of infection involved in their use, and disinfection instructions are included for each category.

The categories are as follows¹:

Critical items are items that normally enter sterile tissue, or the vascular system, or through which blood flows. This category includes items such as needles, intravenous catheters and urinary catheters.

Disinfection: Equipment must be sterile when used.

Semi-critical items are objects that touch mucous membranes or skin that is not intact. This group includes items such as thermometers, podiatry equipment and electric razors.

Disinfection: These items require high-level disinfection using an FDA-approved agent. They may also be sterilized.

Noncritical items either come into contact with intact skin or do not touch the resident. This category includes items such as stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs and over-bed tables.

Disinfection: These products require low-level disinfection. They should be cleaned periodically and after visible soiling with an EPA-registered disinfectant, detergent or germicide that is approved for healthcare settings.

Single-use disposable equipment can also be used in lieu of sterilizing reusable instruments (remember, devices that are labeled by the manufacturer for single use should never be reused). Manufacturers are also beginning to introduce touch-free devices, such as thermometers, that greatly reduce the need for constant disinfection. ProMed territory managers are ready to tell you more about our disinfecting products as well as our new, touch-free Infrared Thermometer. Give us a call at 800-648-5190 to learn more!

Reference

1 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. State Operations Manual. Appendix PP – Guidance to Surveyors for Long Term Care Facilities (Rev. 70, 01-07-11). Available at: http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/downloads/som107ap_pp_guidelines_ltcf.pdf. Accessed July 17, 2012.