Question

An instrument that will come into contact with only the skin of a patient should be disinfected with a(n) 47) ______

A) degerming agent only.
B) intermediate-level germicide.
C) high-level germicide.
D) low-level germicide.
E) germistatic agent only.

Answer 1

When an instrument will only come into contact with the skin of a patient, it is considered a noncritical item. Disinfecting these items with a low-level germicide is sufficient to reduce the number of microbes on the instrument's surface and prevent infection.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is D) low-level germicide.

When an instrument will only come into contact with the skin of a patient, it is considered a noncritical item. Noncritical items are those that only touch intact skin and do not penetrate sterile tissues or come into contact with mucous membranes. Disinfecting these items with a low-level germicide is sufficient to reduce the number of microbes on the instrument's surface and prevent infection.