Hygiene Atlas

Atlas · Plate XIV · Infection Control · 06

Spaulding classification

The Spaulding system sorts items by the tissue they touch. Critical items such as scalers, curettes and probes penetrate tissue and must be sterilized. Semicritical items such as mirrors and handpieces touch mucosa and are heat-sterilized whenever possible. Noncritical items such as a blood pressure cuff touch intact skin and get a low- or intermediate-level disinfectant.

High-yield facts · 5

  1. Critical items (penetrate soft tissue or bone): sterilize (scalers, curettes, probes, surgical instruments, burs).S7
  2. Semicritical items (contact mucosa, do not penetrate): sterilize or, if heat-sensitive, high-level disinfect (mirrors, amalgam condensers, handpieces, radiograph holders).S7
  3. Handpieces and their attachments are heat-sterilized between patients.S7S8
  4. Noncritical items (contact intact skin): clean and disinfect with low- or intermediate-level disinfectant (BP cuff, radiograph tube head, pulse oximeter).S7
  5. Environmental surfaces are clinical contact surfaces (barrier or disinfect) or housekeeping surfaces (floors, walls: clean with detergent or low-level disinfectant).S7

Facts are written in our own words; each tag links to its source. Values marked "sources vary" differ between references, so check the one your program uses.