Question

What is the medical term for the process or procedure that destroys or inhibits disease-causing microorganisms to prevent infection:

Answer 1

Answer: Sterilization.

Explanation:

Sterilization is the process that kills, or deactivates all forms of life so then a product is considered free of viable microorganisms. This process must be designed, validated and carried out to ensure that it is capable of eliminating the microbial load of the product.

Since sterility cannot be demonstrated without causing the complete destruction of the products, sterility is considered when the probability of a product being contaminated is acceptably remote. A critical product is considered sterile when the probability of a microorganism being present in an active or latent form is equal to or less than 1 in 1,000,000 (sterility safety factor 10^-6).

Agents that kill microorganisms are called microbicides or more commonly called "germicides". If the agent kills bacteria, it is called a bactericide. And if it kills fungi, then it is called a fungicide. It is important to consider than after an exposure of the sterilized object to the air or its surroundings, it will have become contaminated again with microorganisms.

Examples of sterilization include physical methods and chemical methods. Physical methods include:

• Wet heat (in steam autoclave)
• Dry heat (in sterilization oven)
• Radiation (gamma radiatio, electron beam, X-ray, ultraviolet, microwave, white light)

Chemical methods include a variety of chemicals in liquid and vapor form, for example:

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Chlorine dioxide
• Ozone gases
• Ethylene oxide
• Propylene oxide
• Peracetic acid