What is the term used for a procedure that completely destroys all microbial life, including resistant bacterial endospores?

The term for a procedure that completely destroys all microbial life, including resistant bacterial endospores, is sterilization. Sterilization is critical in healthcare settings, particularly in phlebotomy, where maintaining a sterile environment is essential to prevent infections. This process ensures that surgical instruments, medical devices, and laboratory equipment are free from all microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores.

The other terms relate to different levels of microbial control. Disinfection refers to the process that reduces the number of pathogenic microorganisms but does not necessarily kill all microbes, especially resistant forms like endospores. Sanitization involves reducing microbial counts to safe levels as defined by public health standards, but it does not guarantee the complete destruction of all microorganisms. Pasteurization is a process that uses heat to kill certain pathogens in food and beverages without affecting their quality, but it does not achieve the complete sterilization of the items being treated. Thus, sterilization is the most thorough method and is the correct term for the procedure described.