Final answer:
Instruments and devices from another facility must be sterilized before use. This is necessary to maintain aseptic conditions, especially for critical items that contact sterile tissue or the bloodstream.
Step-by-step explanation:
All instruments and devices received from another facility should be sterilized before use to ensure the elimination of any microbial life that could cause contamination or infection. It is crucial in medical and laboratory environments to maintain aseptic techniques to prevent sepsis or the spread of infections. Depending on the classification of medical items, different levels of cleanliness are required. Critical items, which come into contact with sterile body areas or the vascular system, must be sterilized. Semicritical items that contact mucous membranes require high-level disinfection, while noncritical items, which come into contact with intact skin, need to be clean but not necessarily sterile. Instruments can be cleaned using methods such as autoclaving in a strong basic solution or by applying chemicals for disinfection when appropriate.