Recommendations

Load Configuration

Storage of Sterile Items

Quality Control

Reuse of Single-Use Medical Devices

Document Overview

Design and created by Guideline Central in participation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Publication Date: May 1, 2019

Page Last Updated: May 5, 2026

Grading System

Category of Recommendation		Evidence Type
1	Applies to all persons; most patients should receive the recommended course of action.	1	Randomized clinical trials or overwhelming evidence from observational studies.
2	Individual decision making needed; different choices will be appropriate for different patients. Clinicians help patients arrive at a decision consistent with patient values and preferences and specific clinical situations.	2	Randomized clinical trials with important limitations, or exceptionally strong evidence from observational studies.
		3	Observational studies or randomized clinical trials with notable limitations.
		4	Clinical experience and observations, observational studies with important limitations, or randomized clinical trials with several major limitations.

Document Overview

Document Title: Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities

Authoring Society: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Document Publication Date: May 1, 2019

Page Last Reviewed/Updated: May 5, 2026

Document Type: Guideline

Country of Publication: United States

Full Text Freely Available: Yes

Full Text Guideline: www.cdc.gov/infection-control/media/pdfs/guideline-disinfection-h.pdf?CDC_AAref_Val=www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/pdf/guidelines/disinfection-guidelines-H.pdf

Supplemental Implementation Resources

Document Scope, Criteria, and Use Cases

Scope: Management, Prevention, Treatment

Keywords: Disinfection, Healthcare Facilities, Sterilization

Inclusion Criteria: Male, Female, Adolescent, Adult, Child, Older Adult

Health Care Settings: Ambulatory, Childcare Center, Hospital

Intended Users: Healthcare Business/Administration, Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician, Physician Assistant

Recommendation Development Processes & Methodology

Number of Source Documents: 1,035

Literature Search Start Date: Tuesday, January 1, 1980

Literature Search End Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Includes peer/external review process?: Yes

Includes public comment process?: No

Methodologist involvement?: Yes

Patient involvement?: No

Includes multi-disciplinary group?: Yes

Includes systematic review?: Yes

Grades quality of strength of evidence?: Yes

Grades quality of strength of recommendation?: Yes

Includes benefits/harms analysis with recommendations?: Yes

Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities

Recommendations

Occupational Health and Exposure

Cleaning of Patient-Care Devices

Indications for Sterilization, High-Level Disinfection, and Low-Level Disinfection

Selection and Use of Low-Level Disinfectants for Noncritical Patient-Care Devices

Cleaning and Disinfecting Environmental Surfaces in Healthcare Facilities

Disinfectant Fogging

High-Level Disinfection of Endoscopes

Management of Equipment and Surfaces in Dentistry

Disinfection Strategies for Other Semicritical Devices

Disinfection by Healthcare Personnel in Ambulatory Care and Home Care

Microbial Contamination of Disinfectants

Flash Sterilization

Methods of Sterilization

Packaging

Monitoring of Sterilizers

Load Configuration

Storage of Sterile Items

Quality Control

Reuse of Single-Use Medical Devices

Grading System

Document Overview

Supplemental Implementation Resources

Document Scope, Criteria, and Use Cases

Recommendation Development Processes & Methodology