Disinfection in the OR

1. Items that enter sterile tissue or the vascular system are considered critical items and must be sterile (eg, surgical instruments, cardiac catheters, implants). 2. Semicritical items are those objects that come in contact with mucous membranes or with skin that is not intact. Endoscopes, anesthesia breathing circuits, respiratory therapy equipment, and endotracheal tubes are included in this category. These items require high-level disinfection. 3. Noncritical items (eg, floors, blood pressure cuffs) come in contact with intact skin. These items require low-level disinfection. 4. Flash sterilization is overused in hospitals. Control measures should be used to minimize infections traced to sterilizer failure.