Earle Spaulding of
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
(
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Pennsylvania) in a 1939 paper on
disinfection
A disinfectant is a chemical substance or compound used to inactivate or destroy microorganisms on inert surfaces. Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacterial spores; it is less effective than st ...
of
surgical instrument
A surgical instrument is a tool or device for performing specific actions or carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of ...
s in a
chemical solution
In chemistry, a solution is a special type of homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In such a mixture, a solute is a substance dissolved in another substance, known as a solvent. If the attractive forces between the solvent ...
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
An antiseptic (from Greek ἀντί ''anti'', "against" and σηπτικός ''sēptikos'', "putrefactive") is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putre ...
activity as "high", "intermediate", and "low". While influential, the Spaulding scheme is susceptible to oversimplification and can be difficult to implement.
References
External links
CDC HICPAC Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spaulding, Earle H
Surgical procedures and techniques
Hygienists
Year of birth missing
Year of death missing
Temple University faculty