Disinfection of infectious diseases is the use of physical or chemical methods to eliminate pathogens that stay on different vectors, so as to cut off the transmission route and prevent and control the occurrence of infection. Its purpose:

(1) Prevent the spread of pathogens into society and cause epidemics.

(2) Prevent patients from being infected by other pathogens, complications and cross-infection.

(3) At the same time, it also protects medical staff from infection.

Disinfection measures alone are not enough to achieve these goals. Necessary isolation measures and aseptic procedures at work must be carried out at the same time to achieve the effectiveness of infection control.

The effect of disinfection on infectious diseases caused by different transmission mechanisms is different. Gastrointestinal tract infectious diseases, pathogens are excreted with excrement or vomit, and the scope of contamination is relatively limited. In respiratory infectious diseases, pathogens are excreted with breathing, coughing, and sneezing, and then spread through droplets and dust, and the scope of contamination is not accurate, and disinfection is more difficult. Spatial isolation must be applied at the same time to interrupt the infection. For insect-borne infectious diseases, methods such as insecticide and rodent eradication are adopted.

Types of disinfection

It can be divided into two types: disinfection of epidemic sources and preventive disinfection, and can also be divided into high-level disinfection, medium-level disinfection and low-level disinfection according to the level of disinfection.

Disinfection of foci

It refers to the area where there is a source of infection (sick or pathogen carrier), and disinfection is carried out to prevent the spread of pathogens. Disinfection of epidemic foci is divided into two types: disinfection at any time and terminal disinfection. Disinfection at any time refers to the timely killing and elimination of pathogenic microorganisms discharged from pollution sources.

Terminal disinfection refers to the thorough disinfection of the original place of residence of the infectious agent after hospitalization and isolation, recovery or death, in order to completely eliminate the pathogenic microorganisms left by the infectious disease. After the source of infection in the hospital is isolated and discharged, the disinfection of items and wards is also terminal disinfection.

Preventative disinfection

It refers to the disinfection of items, places and human bodies that may be contaminated by pathogens without the source of infection being found. For example, disinfection of public places, disinfection of means of transport, disinfection of drinking water and utensils, and washing hands before and after using the toilet are all acceptable. The operating room in the hospital is disinfected, and the preventive isolation and disinfection measures for patients with severe immune compromise, such as bone marrow transplant patients, are also preventive disinfection.

High level of disinfection

Kills all bacterial propagules, including mycobacteria, viruses, fungi and their spores, and most bacterial spores. Commonly used methods to achieve a high level of disinfection include the use of chlorine-containing preparations, chlorine dioxide, phthalendehyde, peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, iodine tincture, etc., as well as chemical disinfectants that can achieve sterilization effect, under specified conditions, with appropriate concentrations and effective action time for disinfection.

Medium level disinfection

Kills all kinds of pathogenic microorganisms except bacterial spores, including mycobacteria. The commonly used methods for achieving medium level disinfection include the use of iodine disinfectants (iodophor, chlorhexidine iodine, etc.), alcohols and chlorhexidine iodine compounds, alcohols and quaternary ammonium salt compounds, phenols and other disinfectants, under specified conditions, with appropriate concentrations and effective action time for disinfection.

Low level of disinfection

It is a chemical disinfection method that can kill bacterial propagules (except mycobacteria) and lipophilic viruses, as well as mechanical sterilization methods such as ventilation and flushing. For example, quaternary ammonium salt disinfectants (benzalkonium bromide, etc.), biguanide disinfectants (chlorhexidine), etc., are disinfected under specified conditions with appropriate concentrations and effective action time.