Ophthalmic equipment or devices that come in contact with only a patient's intact skin should undergo which procedure?

Ophthalmic equipment or devices that come into contact solely with a patient's intact skin should undergo cleaning with detergent. This procedure is appropriate because when equipment is only in contact with intact skin, it is unlikely to pose a significant risk of infection transmission. Cleaning with detergent effectively removes organic material and reduces microbial load from the surface of the equipment.

Using a detergent solution ensures that surfaces are not just visually clean but also free from potentially harmful contaminants that can harbor bacteria or other pathogens.

In contrast, sterilization is typically reserved for instruments that penetrate sterile tissues or come into contact with mucous membranes, while disinfection is a higher level of cleaning used for items that may come into contact with non-intact skin or potentially infectious materials. Dry heat treatment is a specific sterilization method that is not necessary in this context since the skin is intact and poses a low risk. Therefore, cleaning with detergent is the most suitable procedure for ophthalmic devices that touch intact skin.