Disinfection and sterilization: their purpose and scope

Disinfection (French des - eliminate and latin infection - infection) is one of the main methods of destroying microorganisms in the external environment, including especially dangerous and pathogenic ones.

If we consider the epidemic process as a chain, the first link in it will be sick people and animals that are the source Infection and to which therapeutic measures of influence are applied.

The second link in the spread of infection are factors of transmission of infection, which include facilities where patients are kept, care and maintenance items, including utensils, inventory, overalls, tools, etc.

Disinfection and sterilization are just the main operating forces aimed at the second link of the epidemic chain.

Sterilization and disinfection presuppose one action - the elimination of microorganisms or toxins, but the essence of these concepts is different. Disinfection involves the destruction of the bulk of the pathogenic pathogen. Before her The application always takes into account the specific type of pathogen to which the actions will be directed, as well as the composition of the disinfectant, which will have the highest effect.

By the term "sterilization" is understood the complete elimination of microorganisms, both causing the infectious process, and not causing it. Types of sterilization are very diverse, but they are conducted in small areas or on small items and only when they have a momentary need. In other words, sterilization can not be used for routine or preventive purposes. Disinfection is also one of the main activities carried out just with a preventive, recreational or planned purpose. Consequently, the classification of disinfection measures is much broader than sterilization measures, and all its types have a more diverse application.

Disinfection and sterilization have many methods. And sterilization is much less than disinfection.

The main methods of sterilization are autoclaving, boiling, exposure to certain chemicals, heating with dry heat sources, ultraviolet irradiation and some others. The goal of sterilization is one - the complete destruction of microorganisms.

Methods of disinfection are much larger, and the bulk of them is more ambitious, although it does not guarantee the complete destruction of the pathogenic Microflora.

Can disinfection and sterilization, acting together, reliably protect people and animals from especially dangerous diseases that still occur in our lives? The answer, of course, is negative.

Disinfection measures against anthrax, we assume, it is impossible to achieve 100% destruction of the pathogen in the external environment, no matter by what methods this measure is carried out. Sterilization is mainly aimed at small items and, in its essence, guarantees the destruction of any type of pathogens, even those that are dangerous and resistant, such as anthrax microbial sticks and their spores, but only on small items that do not matter in the liquidation measures.

And yet the fight against infections should be carried out in a complex way, in such events, disinfection and sterilization must necessarily take part. Excluding from the list at least one of them, to achieve positive results in the fight against most diseases will simply be impossible.