The Critical Imperative of Enhancing Infection Prevention Protocols: Investigating Modern Hospital Sterilization Equipment and Best Practices to Mitigate Healthcare-Associated Infections
The efficacy and safety of hospital sterilization equipment are paramount, acting as the primary defense against Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), which pose a significant global public health and economic burden. Modern sterilization techniques, including advanced steam sterilization (autoclaving), ethylene oxide, and vaporized hydrogen peroxide, must be meticulously selected and executed according to manufacturer’s instructions for use (IFU). Improper sterilization, whether due to incorrect process choice or failure to follow guidelines, can not only damage expensive medical instruments but, more dangerously, risk transmitting multi-drug-resistant (MDR) pathogens to vulnerable patients.