Table 59.2.

Different Methods of Sterilization With Examples

Methods of Sterilization	Example	Target	Application
High temperature	Steam, dry heat	All forms of microbes (vegetative and spore)	•Heat-tolerant surgical instruments •Semicritical patient care items
Low temperature	Ethylene oxide gas, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, gas plasma, gaseous chlorine dioxide, ionizing radiation, pulsed light	Gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, mycobacteria, lipid-enveloped viruses, large nonenveloped viruses, spores, cyst, trophozoite, coccidia	•Heat-sensitive critical •Semicritical patient care items
Liquid chemicals	Chemical sterilants	Prions (resistant to any form of sterilization)	•Heat-sensitive critical items •Semicritical patient care items (that can be immersed)
Others	Filtration		•Serum •Vaccines •Antibiotics