Table 13. Disinfection and sterilization of respiratory therapy equipment.
| Item | Category | Cleansing | Disinfection/sterilization | Rinsing | Drying/storing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suction bottle | Non-critical instruments | Aspirate is treated as liquid waste, taking droplet precautions against splash or splatter. | Complete immersion in low-level disinfectant. | Tap water | - Drying and storing |
| Physical cleaning and rinsing of the outer and inner surfaces with water and neutral or enzymatic detergent. | - Contamination-free storage | ||||
| Oxygen Humidifier - flowmeter | Non-critical instruments | Wiping with low-level disinfectant. | |||
| Oxygen Humidifier - bottle | Semi-critical instruments | Physical cleaning and rinsing of the outer and inner surfaces with water and neutral or enzymatic detergent. | Immersion in high-level disinfectant to the depth covering the inner surfaces. | Distilled water | - Drying and storing |
| - Contamination-free storage | |||||
| Respirator - circuit | Semi-critical instruments | Physical cleaning and rinsing of the outer and inner surfaces with water and neutral or enzymatic detergent. | Complete immersion in high-level disinfectant (duration according to the producer recommendation). | Distilled water | - Drying and storing |
| After drying, referral to the procurement office for EO and gas-plasma sterilization. | - Contamination-free storage | ||||
| Respirator - surface | Non-critical instruments | Wiping with low-level disinfectant. | |||
| Laryngoscope blade | Semi-critical instruments | Physical cleaning and rinsing of the outer and inner surfaces with water and neutral or enzymatic detergent. | Complete immersion in high-level disinfectant (duration according to the producer recommendation). | Sterilized distilled water | - Drying and storing |
| After drying, referral to the procurement office for EO and gas-plasma sterilization. | - Contamination-free storage | ||||
| Laryngoscope handle | Non-critical instruments | Wiping with low-level disinfectant. | |||
| Resuscitation bag | Semi-critical instruments | Physical cleaning and rinsing of the outer and inner surfaces with water and neutral or enzymatic detergent. Front and rear parts should be thoroughly cleaned separately. | After drying the cleansed instruments, referral to the procurement office for sterilization. |
EO, ethylene oxide.