Lesson plan
Spaulding classification
Earle Spaulding of Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) in a 1939 paper on disinfection of surgical instruments in a chemical solution proposed "a strategy for sterilization or disinfection of inanimate objects and surfaces based on the degree of risk involved in their use". In order to simplify the nature of the disinfection process, Spaulding classified instruments and items used in patient care according to infection risk into "critical", "semicritical", and "noncritical" categories. He also classified levels of germicidal activity as "high", "intermediate", and "low". While influential, the Spaulding scheme is susceptible to oversimplification and can be difficult to implement.
Article summary
Earle Spaulding of Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) in a 1939 paper on disinfection of surgical instruments in a chemical solution proposed "a strategy for sterilization or disinfection of inanimate objects and surfaces based on the degree of risk involved in their use". In order to simplify the nature of the disinfection process, Spaulding classified instruments and items used in patient care according to infection risk into "critical", "semicritical", and "noncritical" categories. He also classified levels of germicidal activity as "high", "intermediate", and "low". While influential, the Spaulding scheme is susceptible to oversimplification and can be difficult to implement.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.