Sterile handling in the ICU is essential to prevent cross contamination and infections. It is therefore vital that all tables, scales, and other equipment that the patient comes into contact with should routinely be disinfected between patients. Disinfectants that are commonly used are alcohol, chlorine compounds, iodine compounds and glutaraldehyde. Tissues of the inner body are sterile and therefore any equipment that comes in to contact with tissues must be sterile. Commonly used sterilization processes include steam, chemical, plasma, ionizing and cold chemical sterilization.
REFERENCE: Fossum, TW, Hedlund, CS, Hulse, DA, Johnson, AL, Seim, HB, Willard, MD & Gwendolun, LC 2002, ‘Small animal surgery’, 2nd ed., Mosby, St Louis, pp. 1-10.
