Final answer:
Reusable items can be cleaned, disinfected, and used on multiple people even with blood or body fluid exposure, and are categorized as critical, semicritical, or noncritical based on their use. The cleaning process ranges from sterilization for critical items to cleaning for noncritical ones.3) Reusable items
Step-by-step explanation:
Items that can be cleaned, disinfected, and used on more than one person even if the item is exposed to blood or body fluid are known as reusable items. These items fall primarily under the category of critical, semicritical, or noncritical items, depending on their use within a healthcare setting. Critical items must be sterile because they are used inside the body, such as surgical instruments. Semicritical items, like endoscopes, contact mucous membranes and require high-level disinfection. Noncritical items, such as blood pressure cuffs, only need to be clean since they contact intact skin but do not penetrate sterile tissues or mucous membranes.
The level of decontamination for medical items depends on their use. Sterilization is essential for critical items while semicritical items undergo high-level disinfection and noncritical items require cleaning. It is impractical to sterilize everything due to the potential damage to items and toxicity to users; hence, the appropriate level of cleaning is applied according to the item's contact level.