Critical item

Definition

A critical item is any device or instrument that penetrates sterile tissues, body cavities, or the vascular system and must be sterilized before use. These items pose a high risk for infection if contaminated.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Critical items must undergo sterilization to ensure they are free from all microbial life, including spores.
2. Examples of critical items include surgical instruments, catheters, and implants.
3. Sterilization methods for critical items can include autoclaving, ethylene oxide gas, and hydrogen peroxide plasma.
4. Failure to properly sterilize critical items can lead to severe infections or even death in patients.
5. The Spaulding classification system categorizes medical devices into critical, semicritical, and noncritical based on their risk of transmitting infection.

Review Questions

Related terms

Semicritical Item: An item that comes into contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin and requires high-level disinfection.

Noncritical Item: An item that comes into contact with intact skin but not mucous membranes and requires low-level disinfection.

Sterilization:

The process of eliminating all forms of microbial life from an object or surface.