sterilization

Medical term Infection Control and Safety

A process that destroys all microorganisms, including bacterial spores, on an object.

Sources

Related terms

reservoirThe place where a pathogen lives and multiplies, such as a person, animal or surface.
sanitizationRemoving visible soil and debris from objects; cleaning must come before high-level disinfection or…
sharpsObjects that can puncture or cut skin, such as needles, lancets, scalpels and broken glass.
standard precautionsInfection prevention practices used with every patient, including hand hygiene, PPE based on expected…
surgical asepsisSterile technique: practices that keep an area completely free of microorganisms during invasive procedures.
susceptible hostA person at risk of becoming infected.
transmission-based precautionsExtra precautions (contact, droplet or airborne) added to standard precautions for patients with certain…
universal precautionsThe OSHA approach of treating all human blood and certain body fluids as if known to be infectious.