Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

High-level disinfection specifically targets semi-critical items, which are items that come into contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin but do not penetrate tissues. These items require a higher level of disinfection because they pose a risk of transmitting infections if contaminated, yet they are not classified as critical items, which are those that enter sterile body areas and thereby necessitate sterilization.

Semi-critical items typically include medical instruments such as endoscopes, respiratory therapy equipment, and certain surgical instruments that do not penetrate the skin or enter sterile body cavities. High-level disinfection effectively kills most microorganisms, with the exception of large numbers of bacterial spores, making it appropriate for these types of items.

Critical items, which come into direct contact with sterile tissues, require sterilization rather than just high-level disinfection. Non-critical items, like blood pressure cuffs and bed rails, are generally disinfected with lower levels of cleaning as they come into contact only with intact skin. Therefore, high-level disinfection is specifically designed for semi-critical items to mitigate the risk of infection through proper treatment processes.