Principles of Decontamination

Abstract

Effective decontamination of medical devices is essential and is part of the strategy to manage health care–acquired infection (HCAI) (Winning Ways 2003). In the UK, regulations determine that devices designated for single use are not reprocessed and that reusable devices are decontaminated in a sterile services department (SSD) with requisite facilities. They also require that flexible endoscopes are decontaminated according to national guidelines, in an automated reprocessor, and that if other devices have to be decontaminated locally, an automated process is used. Manual cleaning of devices is, thereby, restricted to those items deemed incompatible with an automated process. Staff also have to be specifically trained for decontamination and must ensure there is an audit trail for each recycled item.