[Sterilisation methods]

Manual or mechanical cleaning and disinfection should always be done prior to sterilisation. Steam under pressure sterilisation should always be preferred for items that can withstand heat and pressure variations. Heat-and pressure-sensitive medical devices can be sterilized with saturated water steam in combination with formaldehyde, plasma sterilisation or chemical sterilisation. Equipment for sterilisation should be purchased, tested, and maintained according to the manufacturer's recommendations and according to the standards covering the individual type.

[Disinfectants and disinfection methods]

A risk assessment should be made of the microorganisms to be eliminated and the chosen disinfection compound. It is also necessary to reduce the amount of microorganisms by manual or mechanical cleaning in order to obtain a satisfactory result from disinfection. New chemical disinfectants are often combinations of different compounds. Tests made on products are often insufficient to evaluate the full antimicrobial effect of a disinfectant and in some cases the compounds in a product have a synergistic effect on microorganisms which may result in a broader antimicrobial spectrum.