Disinfection and Sterilisation

There is a lot of confusion between disinfection and sterilisation. Some people think that they are the same thing, while others believe that they are two very different processes. In common parlance, disinfection and sterilisation are two methods of eliminating the growth of microorganisms in the living body. In this blog post, we will discuss the difference between disinfection and sterilisation. We will also look at the factors that determine whether something needs to be disinfected or sterilised.

Disinfection

Disinfection is the process of destroying or making ineffective all forms of life, except for hardy spores. It is a chemical or physical process that is used to cleanse or sanitise an object, surface, or environment. Disinfection kills disease-causing organisms but does not necessarily remove all microbes.

Sterilisation

Sterilisation is the complete destruction or removal of all forms of life, including spores. It is an absolute term that cannot be qualified.

Types of Disinfection

Air Disinfectants: Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation is the most common type of air disinfectant. It uses short-wavelength ultraviolet light to kill microorganisms.

Surface Disinfectants: Common surface disinfectants include quaternary ammonium compounds, alcohols, aldehydes and phenols.

Water Disinfectants: Chlorine and ozone are the most common water disinfectants.

Types of Sterilisation

There are four main types of sterilisation:

• Steam: This is the most common type of sterilisation. It uses pressurised steam to kill bacteria and other organisms
• Hot air: This method uses hot air to sterilise items
• Radiation: This type of sterilisation uses ultraviolet light, X-rays, or gamma rays to kill bacteria and other organisms
• Filtration: This method uses a filter to remove bacteria and other organisms from liquids or gases

Differences between disinfection and sterilisation

The concept of disinfection and sterilisation can be differentiated on the basis of definition, method, microbes, effect, wounds, cleanliness, use, techniques, examples.

Definition: Disinfection can be defined as the process of elimination of all pathogenic microorganisms from inanimate objects but not necessarily their spores. Sterilisation, on the other hand, is the complete destruction of all forms of viable life including spores.

Method: Disinfection can be carried out using either physical or chemical methods. Sterilisation, however, is only possible through chemical and physical means.

Microbes: Disinfection is effective against vegetative bacteria, viruses, fungi but not their spores. Sterilisation is effective against all types of microorganisms including their spores.

Effect: Disinfection leaves the object or surface clean and sterile. Sterilisation, however, renders an object absolutely free from all forms of microbial life.

Wounds: Disinfection is used prior to wounds being dressed. Sterilisation is not used for wounds.

Cleanliness: Disinfection is required for objects and surfaces that need to be clean. Sterilisation is used for objects and surfaces that need to be sterile.

Use: Disinfection is used in hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. Sterilisation is used in pharmaceuticals, hospitals, clinics, and laboratories.

Techniques: There are three techniques used in disinfection – physical, chemical and heat. Sterilisation is only possible through chemical and physical means.

Examples: Some examples of disinfectants are alcohol, phenol, iodine, chlorine. Some examples of sterilants are ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide.

In conclusion, disinfection and sterilisation are two different processes that have their own distinct features. While disinfection is used to clean objects and surfaces, sterilisation is used to make them free from all microorganisms including their spores. Sterilisation is a more complex and expensive process as compared to disinfection.

Methods used in disinfection and sterilisation

Some of the common methods used are:

Antisepsis: It is the process of inhibiting the growth and reproduction of microorganisms on living tissues.

Degerming: It is the process of removing germs from an object or surface.

Sanitisation: It reduces the number of microbes on an object or surface to a safe level.

Disinfectant: It is the process of eliminating all pathogenic microorganisms from inanimate objects but not necessarily their spores.

Sterilant: It is the process of completely destroying all forms of viable life including spores.

Biocide: It is the process of killing or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms.

The above-mentioned methods are used for disinfection and sterilisation.

Conclusion

Although disinfection and sterilisation may seem like similar processes, they are actually quite different. In order to understand the difference, it’s important to first understand what each term means. Disinfection is the process of killing or removing most pathogenic organisms from an inanimate object or surface. Sterilisation, on the other hand, is the complete destruction of all forms of life, including spores. It is a more rigorous process than disinfection and is typically used for medical equipment and instruments that come into contact with patients’ blood or tissues. There are many factors that determine whether disinfection or sterilisation is appropriate for a given situation, so it’s important to consult with a professional before making any decisions.