Prevention and Infection Control in Health Care Facilities: Effectiveness of Disinfection and Sterilization of Medical Equipment in Hospital

Abstract

Nosocomial infection is one of the important problems that occur with patients who were ad­mitted in hospital. It can be found in all level of hospital and the numbers of cases increase every year. This infection leads to increase severity of the disease and prolong hospitalization.  Medical devices became the focal points for spreading of the disease, because all of them are re-useable.  Failure to properly disinfected or sterilized re-useable medical  equipment  carry  a  risk  associated  with  breach of  the host  barrier.

Effectiveness of disinfection and sterilization procedure includes categorization of medical devices and items, disinfection, sterilization and storage of sterilized package.  Therefore, all staff in hospital need to know and emphasize on procedure of disinfection and sterilization for reducing infection associated with contaminated patient care items .