Sterilization and disinfection: methods and means
Take care of your own safety!
As you know, doctors, especially cosmetologists, are one of the most dangerous specialties from an epidemiological point of view. Unfortunately, after cosmetology procedures, not only a positive result in solving an aesthetic problem is possible, but also a negative one, which manifests itself through infection of both the patient and the doctor, and in the end can cause serious diseases.
The purpose of the article is to improve the situation in cosmetology practice and increase the level of safety of cosmetologists and other medical personnel working in cosmetology clinics.
Sterilization or disinfection?
Quite often, a staphylococcal or fungal infection, which causes dermatophytosis (mycosis) of the hairy part of the head, nails, hands, legs, trunk, gets to the doctor from the patient. However, the greatest danger that a cosmetologist can encounter is infection with hepatitis B, C and AIDS. The risk of such diseases is especially high during manicure, pedicure, mechanical face cleaning, etc. procedures.
Sterilization is the complete destruction of vegetative and spore forms of all microorganisms. Disinfection is a set of physical, chemical and mechanical methods of disinfection of vegetative and spore forms of pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms. The purpose of disinfection is to prevent the transmission of pathogens from a sick person to a healthy person through various objects of the external environment.
Thus, the concept of "sterilization" is broader than the concept of "disinfection", since only pathogenic microorganisms are destroyed with the latter. High temperatures are often used for sterilization, and chemicals with a wide spectrum of antimicrobial action are used for disinfection.
Full version of the access article in Ukrainian