Final answer:
Stethoscopes and blood glucose meters require low-level disinfection because they are noncritical items that come into contact with intact skin. Low-level disinfection ensures that these noncritical items are adequately clean without needing the high-level disinfection necessary for semicritical items or the sterilization required for critical items.
Step-by-step explanation:
Low-level disinfection is sufficient for noncritical medical items, which do not penetrate sterile tissues or mucous membranes. In the context of the question, stethoscopes and blood glucose meters fall under the category of noncritical items that may contact intact skin and therefore, low-level disinfection is suitable for them. Flexible endoscopes, being semicritical, require high-level disinfection while implants and surgical instruments are critical items and must be sterilized as they are introduced into sterile areas of the body.
According to the CDC and NIH guidelines, the level of disinfection required depends on the item's classification - critical, semicritical, or noncritical. Low-level disinfection is adequate for noncritical items like stethoscopes and blood glucose meters because they only contact skin without penetrating it. Flexible endoscopes, on the other hand, require more rigorous cleaning protocols since they contact mucous membranes.