Introductory Chapter: Overview of Disinfection

Abstract

Disinfection is the method to destroy most microbial forms, especially vegetative pathogens rather than bacterial spores, by using physical and chemical procedures such as UV radiation, boiling, vapor. Each surgical process and medical applications need sterile procedures to avoid infection of tissue by surgical and medical equipment that are contaminated. During these processes, surgical and medical equipment can be contaminated by pathogens via contaminated surgical gloves. This leads to entrance of bacteria adhered on surgical and medical equipment or devices to sterile tissues of patient as a result of infection. Not only contaminated surgical and medical equipment are risk factors for infection but also contaminated common areas used by community such as toilets, public transport vehicles and door handles and contaminated air causing transmission of pathogens from person to person and contaminated kitchen equipment causing cross contamination between equipment and foods are risk factors for health-threatening infections. Inadequate disinfections of these equipment and air are risk factors for transmission of pathogens to patients. Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Rota virus, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella dysenteriae, Vibrio cholera, and Helicobacter pylori are the most common examples of pathogens transmitted. Failure to apply disinfection applications has been leading to various outbreaks [1].