Fomites
Inanimate items that may harbor microbes and aid in disease transmission.
Factors that influence the level of cleanliness required for a fomite
- Application for which the item will be used
- Level of resistance to antimicrobial treatment by potential pathogens.
BSL-1
- Those that generally do not cause infection in healthy human adults
- examples: (non-pathogenic e.coli, and bacillus subtillis
BSL-2
- Those that pose a moderate risk to laboratory workers
- Typically indigenous
- Examples: Staphylococcus aureus
BSL-3
- Those that have the potential to cause lethal infections by inhalation
- Directional airflow
- Examples: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
BSL-4
- Those that are the most dangerous and often fatal
- Typically exotic and easily transmitted through inhalation
- require full-body suits
- Examples: Ebola, Marburg virus
Autoclaves
specialized devices for sterilizing materials with pressurized steam before use or disposal
Sterilization
The complete removal or killing of all vegetative cells, endospores, and viruses from the targeted item or environment.
Sterilants
Chemicals that can be used to achieve sterilization
Aseptic technique
Prevents contamination of sterile surfaces
Asepsis
Combination of protocols that collectively maintain sterility
Sepsis
Systemic inflammatory response to infection that results in high fever, increased heart rate and respiratory rates, shock and death.
Sterile field
Must be used for medical procedures that carry the risk of contamination
Commercial sterilization
Uses heat at a temperature low enough o preserve food quality but high enough to destroy common pathogens responsible for food poisoning
Difference between sterilization and aseptic technique
sterilization is the removal or killing of all bad cells and aseptic technique is a method used to prevent contamination of sterile surfaces
Disinfection
inactivates most microbes on the surface of a fomite by using antimicrobial chemicals or heat. NOT considered sterile.
Antiseptics
antimicrobial chemicals safe for use on living skin or tissues
Antisepsis
Applying an antiseptic
Critical items
must be sterile because they will be used inside the body and tissue
Semi-critical items
may contact mucous membranes or non intact skin but do not penetrate tissue. Do not need to be sterile but require high level of disinfection.
Noncritical items
may contact but do not penetrate the skin
Degerming
microbial numbers are significantly reduced by scrubbing living tissue with a mild chemical to avoid the transmission of pathogenic microbes
Sanitization
Reduces the microbial load of an inanimate item to be safe
Difference between a disinfectant and antiseptic
Disinfectants reduce or destroy microbial load of an inanimate item through the application of heat or antiseptics
