What does high-level disinfection achieve?

High-level disinfection is a process that is particularly significant in healthcare settings, where the elimination of pathogens is crucial for patient safety. The correct understanding of this process is that it destroys all microorganisms, except for a certain level of bacterial spores.

This means that high-level disinfection is effective against a wide array of pathogens, including bacteria (both vegetative forms and some resistant strains), viruses, and fungi. However, it does not guarantee the complete destruction of bacterial spores, which are more resilient and require a higher level of sterilization processes, such as autoclaving, to ensure their complete eradication.

Consequently, the focus of high-level disinfection is on achieving a near-safe environment for medical equipment that is not intended for sterile use but must still be free from a large majority of pathogens. This is especially important for semi-critical items that come into contact with mucous membranes, where the risk of infection must be minimized.