RT Book, Section A1 Ryan, Kenneth J. SR Print(0) ID 1148670077 T1 Sterilization, Disinfection, and Infection Control T2 Sherris Medical Microbiology, 7e YR 2017 FD 2017 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781259859809 LK accessbiomedicalscience.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1148670077 RD 2024/03/28 AB From the time of debates about the germ theory of disease, killing microbes before they reach patients has been a major strategy for preventing infection. In fact, Ignaz Semmelweis successfully applied disinfection principles decades before bacteria were first isolated. This chapter discusses the most important methods used for this purpose in modern medical practice. Understanding how these methods work has become of increasing importance in an environment that includes immunocompromised patients, transplantation, indwelling devices, and AIDS.