Final answer:
According to Spalding's Classification, critical items are indeed those that may penetrate soft tissue or bone. These items must be sterilized, typically by heat, as high-level disinfection is not sufficient to ensure their safety. Hence, only Statement 1 is true.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering the statement "According to Spalding's Classification of Inanimate Objects, critical items are those that may penetrate soft tissue or bone", it is accurate to classify critical items in such a manner. These items must be free from all microbes to safely penetrate sterile tissue or the vascular system. Common examples of critical items include surgical instruments and catheters. Therefore, Statement 1 is true.
Regarding "These items must be sterilized by heat or high-level disinfection", this statement requires clarification. Critical items do require sterilization, which involves processes that eliminate all forms of microbial life, including bacteria, viruses, spores, and fungi. Heat sterilization is a typical method utilized to achieve this. However, high-level disinfection is not sufficient for critical items as it does not eradicate all microbial life, but rather reduces the microbial load to a safe level, typically for semi-critical items. Thus, Statement 2 is false because critical items require sterilization, not just high-level disinfection. Consequently, the correct answer would be A. Only Statement 1 is true.