118 Unit 1 Introduction to Healthcare Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. At least three levels of cleaning take place in healthcare facilities to pre- vent the spread of pathogens. These levels include sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization. Sanitization is defi ned as the use of antimicrobial agents on objects, surfaces, or living tissue to reduce the number of disease-causing microor- ganisms to nonthreatening levels. An example of sanitization is cleaning tables in a hospital cafeteria before disinfection. Disinfection involves the use of antimicrobial agents on nonliving objects or surfaces to destroy or deactivate microorganisms. Disinfectants are applied and allowed to dry according to the directions of the chemical manufacturer. The fl oors and walls of a hospital room, for example, are disinfected. Disinfecting an object does not mean that all of the bacteria, viruses, and fungi have been removed. Some microorganisms form thick walls around themselves to protect themselves from harsh envi- ronments. This makes it diffi cult for disinfectants to completely remove the microorganisms. To kill all microorganisms on a surface, the sur- face must be sterilized. The most common method of sterilization in many healthcare facilities is the use of the autoclave. An autoclave is a machine that employs hot, pressurized steam for cleaning purposes. The steam’s high temperature kills all microorganisms and their spores (Figure 4.18). Other methods of sterilization include dry heat, gas, ionized radiation, and specialized chemicals designed for the purpose of sterilization. sanitization the use of antimicrobial agents on objects, surfaces, or living tissue to reduce the number of disease-causing microorganisms disinfection the use of antimicrobial agents on nonliving objects or surfaces to destroy or deactivate microorganisms Scientists at the University of Westminster in London performed a study to measure what was most hygienic—drying freshly washed hands with paper towels or using an electric hand dryer. Their study measured the number of bacteria on subjects’ hands before washing and after drying them. Three different drying methods were used: paper towels, the warm air dryer, and a high-speed jet air dryer. Paper towels were found to be clearly superior to the other methods, resulting in a 76 percent decrease in bacteria on the finger pads and a 77 percent decrease on the palms. In contrast, warm air dryers caused bacteria counts to increase by 194 percent on the finger pads and up to 254 percent on the palms. The jet air dryers increased the bacteria on the finger pads by 42 percent and by 15 percent on the palms. Additionally, the warm air dryers had a potential for cross contamination of other bathroom users. The jet air dryers could potentially contaminate other users up to 7 feet away. The warm air dryers had the potential contamination range of about 10 inches. Did You Know? What’s the Most Hygienic? What’s the Most Hygienic? Chris Pole/Shutterstock.com Figure 4.18 Autoclaves, such as the one shown here, are used to sterilize medical equipment and instruments. What does it mean to sterilize something? autoclave a machine used frequently in healthcare facilities to kill all microorganisms and their spores on a surface sterilization the act of killing all microorganisms and their spores on a surface methods of sterilization in a healthcare facility may include hot pressurized steam, dry heat, and gas