ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the process options for decontamination available in healthcare facilities. Efforts to determine what “standard practice” in healthcare facilities is soon revealed that there are a wide range of “acceptable” methods and a great many options within those methods. Workers in the Central Service department of a healthcare facility can vary greatly in their knowledge of device reprocessing. Manual cleaning may be followed by wiping with a liquid chemical germicide appropriate for and compatible with the device. Automated cleaning takes three general forms: ultrasonic cleaner, washer-disinfector, and washer-sterilizer. An ultrasonic cleaner may be used for cleaning after the items are initially rinsed to remove gross debris. Automated or mechanical cleaning in a washer-disinfector involves a cycle with several parts. Cleaning action is achieved through immersion in a detergent/water solution, usually at temperatures above 150°F, resulting in coagulation of protein soil.
