1.0 Introduction
Sterilization (or sterilisation) is a term referring to any process that eliminates (removes) or kills all forms of microbial life, including transmissible agents (such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, spore forms, etc.) present on a surface, contained in a fluid, in medication, or in a compound such as biological culture media. Sterilization can be achieved by applying the proper combinations of heat, chemicals, irradiation, high pressure, and filtration. The term has evolved to include the disabling or destruction of infectious proteins such as prions related to Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE).
Sterilization destroys all microorganisms; including bacterial endospores.Sterilization should be used for instruments, surgical gloves and other items that come in direct contact with the blood stream or normally sterile tissues (Spaulding 1939). It can be achieved by high-pressure steam (autoclave), dry heat (oven), chemical sterilants (glutaraldehydes or formaldehyde solutions) or physical agents (radiation). Because sterilization is a process, not a single event, all components must be carried out correctly for sterilization to occur. To be effective, sterilization requires time, contact, temperature and, with steam sterilization, high pressure.
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