What is disinfection

Disinfection includes a set of measures, aimed at destroying microorganisms (pathogenic and opportunistic) on the pathways of their transmission from the source of infection to the healthy population.

Disinfection stops the spread of infectious and parasitic diseases, prevents the formation of stable foci and group diseases, having a significant impact on the health of the nation.

The most important epidemiological concepts developed by epidemiological science help to develop rational forms of organization and implementation of disinfection measures, justifying themselves in practice.

When performing disinfection, the peculiarities of the epidemic process of each specific infectious disease are taken into account. Specialists develop an algorithm of actions: choice of methods and means of disinfection, determination of the timing of disinfection, technical support and methods of disinfection.

At "GOCPD" carries out all work in accordance with the Sanitary norms and rules “Requirements for the procedure for carrying out disinfection, disinsection and deratization works”, approved by the resolution of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus 21 March 2013. No. 24 and other applicable regulatory documents.

disinfection Is a set of activities, aimed at the destruction or reduction of populations of vegetative and spore forms of pathogenic and opportunistic pathogens on abiotic objects of the external environment in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The term "disinfection" is applied exclusively to inanimate objects.. The term "antiseptic" is used for biological tissues..

Depending on the strength of the antimicrobial activity, three levels of disinfection are distinguished: tall, medium and low.

High level disinfection kills vegetative bacteria, mycobacteria of tuberculosis, mushrooms, viruses, however, ineffective against a large number of bacterial spores.

Medium-level disinfection kills vegetative bacteria, most mushrooms, mycobacterium tuberculosis and most viruses. Not effective against bacterial spores.

Low-level disinfection kills vegetative bacteria, some mushrooms, some viruses. Ineffective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and against bacterial spores.

Given specific goals, disinfection is divided into focal and prophylactic. Focal disinfection, in turn – for the current and final.

Current disinfection - carried out in the epidemic focus in the presence of a source of infection and is aimed at destroying pathogens as they are excreted by a patient or carrier. The most common indications for ongoing disinfection are:

• Finding the patient in the outbreak before hospitalization;
• Treatment of an infectious patient at home until recovery;
• Presence of a bacterial carrier in the outbreak until its complete reorganization;
• The presence of convalescents in the outbreak before being removed from the dispensary register.

Ongoing disinfection is also carried out in:

• Infectious hospitals;
• Somatic hospitals;
• Outpatient clinics;
• Anti-tuberculosis facilities;
• Isolation wards and quarantine groups of preschool institutions.
• Current disinfection includes two groups of measures:
• Sanitary and hygienic measures;
• Disinfection of patient's secretions and environmental objects.

Routine disinfection is organized by a healthcare professional, but carried out by the patient or his relatives, as well as the staff of children's, adolescent and medical institutions.

Final disinfection - carried out after hospitalization, recovery or death of the patient, that is, after removing the source of infection in order to completely free the epidemic focus from pathogens, scattered sick.

The final disinfection is carried out by the disinfection and sterilization centers or the disinfection departments of the territorial hygiene and epidemiology centers. The grounds for final disinfection are infectious diseases or suspicions of them., set out in Appendix No. 1 of the Order of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus dated November 25, 2002. № 165 "On disinfection and sterilization by healthcare institutions". These are such diseases, as: typhoid fever, paratify, typhus and relapsing fevers, anthrax, quarantine diseases, hemorrhagic fevers, ornithosis, fungal diseases, scabies, diphtheria, viral hepatitis with fecal-oral transmission mechanism, acute intestinal infections, polio, tuberculosis.

For other infectious diseases, final disinfection is carried out depending on the epidemic situation. The need and volume of final disinfection is determined by the epidemiologist. When infectious diseases are detected in hospital hospitals, the final disinfection is carried out by the disinfectants of these institutions.

The main stages of final disinfection are:

• preparation of disinfectant solutions;
• according to indications the destruction of flies with closed windows and transoms;
• disinfecting the door to the room, where was the patient;
• disinfection of underwear and bed linen in a disinfectant solution or boiling;
• disinfection of dishes for food;
• disinfection of food debris;
• disinfection of toys;
• collection of things for chamber disinfection;
• disinfection of furnishings;
• disinfection of cleaning equipment.

Preparations are used for disinfection, approved for use by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus and in the presence of approved instructions and documents, confirming their quality and safety.

Final disinfection using disinfection chambers is mandatory for the following infectious diseases: typhoid fever, paratify, typhus and relapsing fevers, anthrax, quarantine diseases, hemorrhagic fevers, ornithosis, leprosy, fungal diseases (mikrosporiya, ringworm, favus), polio, tuberculosis. In case of scabies and viral hepatitis with a fecal-oral transmission mechanism, final disinfection using disinfection chambers is carried out only at the request of an epidemiologist.

Things, subject to chamber disinfection, sorted and placed in bags separately for the steam-air, steam and steam-formalin disinfection and delivered to the chamber, where they are disinfected in disinfection chambers.

Prophylactic disinfection - carried out out of connection with epidemic foci in places of probable accumulation of pathogens of infectious diseases.

The main objects of preventive disinfection are:

• polyclinics;
• preschool institutions;
• common areas, crowded, holding spectacular events (train stations, cinemas, dorms, markets, etc.);
• food industry enterprises, trade institutions;
• waterworks;
• hairdressing salons, baths, showers, swimming pools, etc..

Preventive disinfection depending on the nature of the object is carried out either by themselves economic organizations, or preventive disinfection centers.

To assess the quality of disinfection as an anti-epidemic measure, the following criteria are used:

• completeness of coverage of disinfection measures;
• timeliness of disinfection;
• compliance with the method of disinfection measures;
• quality of disinfectants.

In the process of control, a visual, chemical and bacteriological methods, which are applied in accordance with approved instructions and the nature of the object, which was disinfected.