it's time to sterilize or
high-level disinfect
the instrument after
cleaning. If a biofilm
has formed and sur-
vived cleaning, sterili-
zation or high-level
disinfection methods
— including steam,
ethylene oxide, and
gas plasmas like
hydrogen peroxide or
ozone — might not
kill the microbes the
biofilm's slimy coat-
ing are protecting,
potentially leading to
cross-contamination.
That goes for both
high-level disinfection
and all sterilization.
You're not
done yet
Even after you've
cleaned and steril-
ized/high-level disin-
fected the device,
you're not done yet.
Biofilm can grow on
