Final answer:
Low-level disinfection is appropriate for noncritical items such as clinicians' stethoscopes and hospital glucose meters, which only come into contact with intact skin. Semicritical items like equipment used in isolation require a higher level of disinfection but not sterilization, while critical items must be sterilized as they penetrate sterile tissues or the bloodstream.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cleaning and performance low-level disinfection of medical equipment, devices, and supplies, such as clinicians' stethoscopes and hospital glucose meters, applies to items termed noncritical. These are items that come in contact with but do not penetrate the patient's intact skin. Semicritical items, like the patient's own blood glucose meters and equipment used in isolation, make contact with mucous membranes or nonintact skin and thus require a higher level of disinfection than noncritical items. However, they do not typically need to be sterilized.
Protocols for cleaning are guided by agencies like the FDA and other organizations such as AOAC, which specify the standards for cleaning and disinfection. Items classified as critical, such as surgical instruments, require sterilization because they are to be used within the body, penetrating sterile tissues or the bloodstream. In contrast, general cleanliness is sufficient for noncritical items, which only touch the intact skin.