Understanding High-Level Disinfection (HLD) Classifications: How Disinfection is Prioritized

Importantly, let us start by defining the arguably obvious: disinfection refers to the elimination of infectious agents from surfaces and objects¹⁻³. However, a distinction must be made when referring to High-Level Disinfection (HLD). HLD specifically targets semi-critical materials or items that come into contact with mucous membranes or compromised skin surfaces³.

The Spaulding Classifications: A Framework for Infection Control

The Spaulding classification system categorizes medical instruments based on their infection transmission risk¹. This categorization aids in determining the required level of disinfection for each item¹. According to the Spaulding system, high-level disinfection (HLD) is necessary for semi-critical items that encounter mucous membranes or compromised skin surfaces¹. Given their higher risk of infection transmission, these items need thorough disinfection to eliminate all microorganisms, barring spores¹. HLD ensures the safety of these items for patient use, reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections¹.

To effectively implement disinfection protocols, healthcare professionals rely heavily on the Spaulding classifications¹. as they categorize medical instruments based on their risk of infection transmission¹:

1. Critical Items: These items come into direct contact with sterile tissues or the bloodstream, necessitating sterilization to destroy all microbial life, including bacteria, viruses, and spores.
2. Semi-Critical Items: While not penetrating sterile tissues, semi-critical items contact mucous membranes or non-intact skin. They require a high level of disinfection to eliminate all microorganisms except for bacterial spores.
3. Non-Critical Items: These items only contact intact skin, requiring cleaning and low-level disinfection to reduce the microbial load.

HLD is a key practice in healthcare settings for infection control¹⁻³. It aims to eliminate all infectious agents, excluding spores, from surfaces and equipment¹. This process is especially important for semi-critical items¹. These items, as classified by the Spaulding system, come into contact with mucous membranes or compromised skin surfaces¹. UV-C disinfection technology supports high-level disinfection protocols by providing a quick and effective method to eliminate a wide range of pathogens⁴⁻⁶. By using ultraviolet radiation, UV-C devices disrupt microbial DNA and RNA, inhibiting their ability to replicate and making them harmless⁴⁻⁶. This innovative method complements traditional cleaning methods and strengthens overall infection control measures, through offering a touch-free disinfection method for surfaces, instruments, and other essential healthcare items requiring disinfection⁴⁻⁶.

UV-C Based Disinfection in Healthcare Settings: Maximizing Touch-Free Safety & Sanitization

Unfortunately, the threat of healthcare-associated infections from multidrug-resistant pathogens is significant, leading to increased mortality rates, morbidity, and healthcare costs⁷⁻¹⁰. Existing research suggests manual disinfection techniques traditionally used in hospital spaces inadequately sanitize surfaces, leading to higher prevalence of surface bacterias and other harmful pathogenic factors⁷⁻¹¹. This reality emphasizes the need for innovative, touch-free methods to strengthen terminal room disinfection, with ultraviolet (UV) disinfection systems offering a promising alternative⁴⁻⁶.

UV-C light, a powerful form of ultraviolet radiation, has become crucial in high-level disinfection practices due to its ability to disrupt the DNA and RNA of microorganisms, preventing their reproduction⁴⁻⁶. This makes it incredibly effective against a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi⁴⁻⁶.

A New Light on Disinfection

UV-C technology presents a promising solution for combating infectious diseases, particularly in healthcare settings where it can significantly reduce infection risks through a touch-free mechanism¹¹. Offering rapid, chemical-free disinfection, UV-C technology strengthens defences against multidrug-resistant pathogens⁴⁻¹¹. However, its effectiveness and seamless integration into infection control protocols necessitate meticulous implementation and ongoing research. Continuous advancements in UV-C procedures have the potential to revolutionize infection prevention, ultimately enhancing patient safety on a global scale⁴⁻¹¹.

Our UV Smart line of products are UV-C high-level disinfection devices that use no consumables, are leading the Green Standard, and take only seconds to complete a successful disinfection cycle. To learn more, visit our Infection Control page or contact us to chat with an expert.