Infection prevention: the essentials of cleaning and disinfection for safer practice

摘要

Instruments, power tools and clinical equipment are a major asset and represent a significant share of the total capital investment in a hospital, but also present a challenge with regard to thorough cleaning and risk-appropriate disinfection. Residual biohazardous material, especially in joints, hinges and lumens, represents an obvious cross-infection risk, while inappropriate cleaning and reprocessing procedures may damage surfaces, contribute to corrosion and shorten the lifespan of equipment. This article will summarise the key aspects to be considered when cleaning and disinfecting equipment, and highlight poor clinical practices which compromise patient and healthcare worker safety.