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Clinical Effectiveness of Low-Temperature Sterilization Technologies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

William A. Rutala  and
David J. Weber
William A. Rutala*
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Disease, University of North Carolina School of Medicine The Department of Hospital Epidemiology, UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
David J. Weber
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Disease, University of North Carolina School of Medicine The Department of Hospital Epidemiology, UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
*
547 Burnett-Womack Bldg, CB #7030, UNC at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7030
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Abstract

The elimination of chlorofluorocarbons by the Clean Air Act has led to the development of alternative technologies for low-temperature sterilization in the healthcare setting, including 100% ethylene oxide, ethylene oxide with other stabilizing gases, immersion in peracetic acid, and gas plasmas. The ideal sterilant does not exist, and infection control professionals should understand the advantages and disadvantages of these processes. However, when combined with adherence to standard cleaning protocols, the available data suggest that the currently available Food and Drug Administration-cleared low-temperature sterilization technologies can inactivate a clinically relevant inoculum of highly resistant organisms

Type
Disinfection and Sterilization
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 19 , Issue 10 , October 1998 , pp. 798 - 804
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1998

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