It includes 1. Definitions 2. Classification of medical asepsis 3. Which procedure to use? 4. What to sterilize? 5. Types of Disinfection 6. Conclusion

1. Sterilization and disinfection
Presented by: Deepak Choudhary
Course – B.Sc.(MRIT) 1st Semester
Department of Allied Health Science
Jagannath University

2. Objective:
 Definitions
 Classification of medical asepsis
 Which procedure to use?
 What to sterilize?
 Types of Disinfection
 Conclusion

3. Definitions
 Medical asepsis : It is a practices that kill
microorganisms to prevent them from spreading.
It has two types: 1. Sterilization
2. Disinfection
 Sterilization : Sterilization refers to the use of different
procedures to destroy all forms of microorganisms
including bacterial spores.
 Disinfection : It is a procedure intended to reduce
microorganisms as far as possible (but not bacterial
spores).

4. Asepsis
Sterilization Disinfection
Heat Radiation
Chemical Heat Chemical
Steam
Dry heat
Gas
Liquid
Gamma Boiling water Phenol
Heat or
chloramines solution
Hexachlorophene
70% Alcohol
Ethylene oxide
Formalin
Glutaric
Aldehyde
Medical asepsis classification:

5. Which procedure to use?
Procedure
Items in each category
Category
Sterilization
Items that: (1) enter the tissue; (2)
Enter vascular system; (3) through
which blood flows
Critical
High level
disinfection
Items that: (1) touch mucous
membranes; (2) touch non-intact skin
(e.g. endoscopes, respiratory therapy
equipment, and diaphragms)
Semi-critical
Low level
disinfection
Items such as bedpans, blood pressure
cuffs, and bedside tables
Non-critical

6. What to sterilize??
 It is mandatory to sterilize :
1. All instruments that penetrate soft tissues and bone.
2. Instruments that are not intended to penetrate the tissues,
but that may come into contact with oral tissues.
 If the sterilization procedure may damage the instruments, then,
sterilization can be replaced by Disinfection procedure

7. Types of Disinfection
 High-level disinfection: can be expected to destroy all
microorganisms, with the exception of large numbers of
bacterial spores.
 Intermediate disinfection: inactivates Mycobacterium
tuberculosis, vegetative bacteria, most viruses, and most
fungi; does not necessarily kill bacterial spores.
 Low-level disinfection: can kill most bacteria, some
viruses, and some fungi; cannot be relied on to kill
resistant microorganisms such as tubercle bacilli or
bacterial spores.

8. Conclusion
 Sterilization and disinfection are costly and time
consuming process.
 However, it is an essential in all health care facilities to
avoid spread of diseases.
 It depends on the ehtics of the instrument users.
 Users should keep in mind that contaminated instrument
present risk to patient as well as the user himself.