What it means
In infection control and the operating room, the EPA is the US Environmental Protection Agency, which registers surface disinfectants and approves the label claims (which germs they kill and the contact time needed); it also sets rules for some medical waste. In nutrition, EPA is eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil.
For the nurse
Use an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant and leave the surface wet for the full contact time on the label.
Related terms
disinfection
Cleaning a surface or object with chemicals or heat to kill most germs, though not always all bacterial spores.
sporicidal
Able to kill bacterial spores, the tough resting forms of some bacteria.