Infection Prevention & SafetyQuestion 93 of 100
A surgical instrument that will enter sterile tissue is being reprocessed. According to the Spaulding classification, how must it be processed?
a.Low-level disinfection is sufficient
b.High-level disinfection is sufficient
c.It is a critical device and must be sterilized
d.Cleaning alone is sufficient if the device is single patient use
Explanation
Critical devices such as surgical instruments, implants, and needles contact sterile tissue or the bloodstream and must be sterilized, because any surviving organism is introduced directly past the body's defenses. Semicritical devices that touch mucous membranes or nonintact skin require at least high-level disinfection. Noncritical devices that contact intact skin need only low-level disinfection, and cleaning is a prerequisite for all three levels.
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