Disinfection is a complex of measures aimed at destroying pathogens of infectious diseases and destroying toxins on the objects of the external environment. It is one of the types of disinfection.
For disinfection, chemical disinfectants are usually used, for example, formaldehyde or sodium hypochlorite, solutions of organic substances with disinfecting properties: chlorhexidine, quaternary ammonium compounds, over acetic acid. Disinfection reduces the number of microorganisms to an acceptable level, but cannot destroy them completely.
There are preventive, current and final disinfection:
- Preventive - is carried out constantly, regardless of the epidemic situation: washing hands, surrounding objects using detergents and cleaning products, products of bactericidal additives.
- Ongoing - at the bedside of the patient, in the isolators of medical centers, medical institutions in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases abroad.
- Final - is carried out after isolation, hospitalization, recovery or death of the patient in order to free the epidemic focus from the pathogens scattered by the sick.
