Final answer:
A porous item in a clinical setting should be precleaned and then disinfected or sterilized according to its classification as critical, semicritical, or noncritical, before being reused.
Step-by-step explanation:
If an item is porous, it typically implies that it has many small holes that may allow for absorption or passage of liquids or gases. In a medical or clinical context, a porous item would need a specific protocol for cleaning depending on whether it is classified as a critical, semicritical, or noncritical item. Critical items must be sterilized because they penetrate sterile tissues or the bloodstream. Semicritical items, which may contact but do not penetrate mucous membranes or nonintact skin, require a high level of disinfection but not necessarily sterilization. Noncritical items like bed linens and crutches need only to be cleaned. Therefore, the correct action to take for a porous item depends on its classification, but generally, such items are precleaned and then appropriately disinfected or sterilized before they are used multiple times.