Which of the following is considered a critical item in infection control?

In infection control, critical items are those that penetrate soft tissue or bone, posing a high risk of infection if not properly sterilized. Hand instruments, such as scalpels, forceps, and surgical scissors, fall into this category because they directly come into contact with blood and other body fluids during procedures. This direct contact means they must be thoroughly sterilized to eliminate any potential pathogens before each use.

Suction tips and radiography equipment, while important in the clinical setting, do not penetrate tissues in the same way and are thus classified differently in terms of infection control. Protective barriers play a role in preventing contamination in the clinical environment but are not considered critical items since they are not invasive. Therefore, the classification of hand instruments as critical items emphasizes the need for stringent sterilization protocols to ensure patient safety.