For disinfection and sterilization purposes, reusable patient care equipment will be classified and processed according to recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), and the Association for Practitioners in Infection Control Guidelines on the Selection and Use of Disinfectants (APIC).

Disinfectant agents and chemical sterilants used for reprocessing medical instruments and devices must be approved by the Infection Control Committee, the Safety Committee, and the Equipment and Product Standards Committee. These guidelines have been developed to standardize practices used in the cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization of patient care equipment. In addition, because certain chemical sterilants may be potentially hazardous, strict attention will be given to the enforcement of appropriate technique and to the use of personal protective equipment, engineering, and work practice controls as required by OSHA.

The following guidelines have been developed to assist health care professionals in cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing patient care equipment.