Final answer:
option c,An EPA-registered intermediate-level or low-level disinfectant is suitable for cleaning non-critical instruments, which are items that may contact intact skin but do not require sterilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered intermediate-level or low-level disinfectant is suitable for cleaning non-critical instruments. Non-critical items are those that may contact but not penetrate intact skin and do not require high-level disinfection. Such items include bed linens, furniture, crutches, stethoscopes, and blood pressure cuffs. These articles need to be clean to reduce the risk of transmitting infectious agents, but they do not need to be sterile as they do not come into contact with sterile tissues or organs.
It's important to use the correct levels of disinfectants for different types of medical equipment. Low-level disinfectants kill most vegetative cells and some viruses but are not effective against endospores. This level of disinfectant is appropriate for non-critical instruments. On the other hand, critical items require sterilization, while semicritical items need high-level disinfection because they come into contact with mucous membranes or nonintact skin.