Question

This special edition podcast not only has us celebrating Sterile Processing (SP) Week, but also the one-year anniversary of our Process This podcast series. Guest speaker Peggy Spitzer joins us from Certol International to discuss all aspects of chemical disinfection and its role in infection control and prevention. Enzymatic solutions and detergent effectiveness are discussed, along with the critical need for experienced SP technicians to manage the process. She also addresses chemical selection and IFU references regarding disinfection. An aspect of the topic that I found most interesting from this podcast about chemical disinfection. State why this area is interesting to me and what I learned through additional research. What are two (compelling) questions that I have about these areas still?

Answer 1

The concept of chemical disinfection is fascinating due to the intricate balance required between efficacy and safety. Sterilization is impractical for everyday use and comes with potential drawbacks, making the selection of proper disinfectants and antiseptics based on the intended use of the item crucial. Sanitization offers a moderation in microbial reduction, ensuring safety for public health without the overuse of chemicals.

Step-by-step explanation:

Chemical Disinfection in Infection Control

The subject of chemical disinfection is particularly compelling within the context of infection control and prevention. While the concept of sterilizing everything might seem like a safe approach, it is actually impractical and can be deleterious to both the items in question and human health. Sterilization protocols, meant to completely remove or kill all microbes, are not only time- and labor-intensive, but they may also cause degradation to the item's integrity or potential toxicity to users. Therefore, considering the item's purpose is critical when selecting an appropriate level of cleanliness. Disinfectants and antiseptics play significant roles in reducing microbial load on inanimate and living surfaces, respectively.

Understanding the chemical disinfection process and the use of various antimicrobial agents, such as phenolics, chlorine, and enzymatic solutions, reveals the intricacies of ensuring an environment is safe yet not overexposed to potentially harmful agents. Phenol, historically a benchmark for measuring disinfection efficacy, showcases the evolution of evaluation methods for disinfectant effectiveness. The balance between safety, cost, environmental impact, and efficacy is essential when choosing chemical agents for disinfection purposes. Sanitization represents a more moderate approach compared to sterilization, aimed at reducing microbes to safe levels, which is adequate in many public health scenarios.

Two questions that remain in the field could be:

• What are the long-term effects of frequent exposure to various disinfectants and sterilants on human health?
• How can we develop new agents that provide high efficacy with minimal negative environmental impact?