News

9/3/2009

New Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities

From ADA online

Atlanta—The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities.

The document was released in December 2008, and now contains references to the "superbug" Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), two bacteria that are resistant to certain antibiotics.

Also new is information pertaining to cleaning dental instruments that should make equipment disinfection easier to understand for dentists.

The CDC has divided noncritical surfaces in dental offices into clinical contact and housekeeping surfaces.

There is also a section devoted to bloodborne pathogens and the need for high-level disinfection and information about other sterilization methods and practices.

Download a copy of the updated guideline: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/guidelines.html