Infection Control Final Review

What does cleaning once a week and using surface barriers minimize?

Transmission of disease

The CDC recommendations for environmental infection control concerning clinical contact surfaces suggest

Use surface barriers & change between patients, clean& disinfect contact surface barriers that aren't protected using EPA registered hospital disinfectant w/low level after each patient use. Use intermediate-level disinfectant if visibly soiled w/blood.

What are ultrasonic cleaners used for?

Used to loosen debris from instruments w/sound waves

What PPE is worn when processing instruments?

Utility gloves, mask, eyewear, and proactive clothing

What is the benchmark for the effectiveness of a surface disinfectant?

effectively kills tuberculosis

What is the product capable of killing some viruses?

iodophers

The CDC Guidelines recommend that _____ not be worn at work because of the possibility of puncturing examination gloves and because of microorganisms that thrive around the cuticles.

jewelry &artificial nails , nail polish

What is the process that causes disease?

CHAIN OF INFECTION

Which environmental surfaces must be cleaned and decontaminated more rigorously?

Clinical surfaces

While transporting and processing contaminated patient-care items, the dental assistants can be exposed to microorganisms through:

Contaminated instruments, Percutaneous injury, contact w/mucous membrane of eyes, nose, mouth

The classifications of patient care items include which of the following?

Critical, semi-critical, & noncritical instruments

What are iosophors used for?

Disinfecting surfaces that have been infected by OPIM

What is the difference between disinfection and sterilization?

Disinfection kills most bacteria but not spores while Sterilization kills ALL bacteria including spores

What is done with instruments after they come out of the ultrasonic cleaner?

Dried, packaged, dated, placed in autoclave for sterilization

Who does dental offices register their disinfectants with?

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) &registered as hospital disinfectants for tuberculosis claims

Which of the following may be used as surface barrier material?

Fluid-resistant, plastic covers, tubing, plastics tape, plastic-backed paper, sticky tape, aluminum foil

How do dental team members reduce their exposure to dental unit water?

Flush & cleaning water reservoirs ****HVE & PPE

What is not a desirable method for Precleaning?

Hand scrubbing

What is a spore?

Highly resistant bacteria

Who considers saliva to be Potentially infectious body fluid?

OSHA

The law designed to protect employees against occupational exposure to bloodborne disease-causing organisms such as HBV, HIV, and HCV is:

OSHA BBP Standard

The ultrasonic cleaner should be cleaned and disinfected:

Once a day

What should you do if the sterilization bag rips when placing instruments in them?

Place in a new sterilization bag

What is a susceptible host?

one whose biologic defense mechanisms are weakened in some way

Explain the cycles of the autoclave?

1. Heat cycle 2. Sterilizing Cycle 3. De-Pressurization cycle 4. Dry cycle

List some information about the ultrasonic cleaner?

1. Works by producing sound waves beyond the range of human hearing that get through metal & glass containers. 2. Instruments should remain in the ultrasonic cleaner until visibly clean. 3. Instruments in plastic or resin

How many hours are required for liquid chemical sterilization?

10 hrs.

How long is the minimum time for washing your hands?

15 sec.

Manufacturers of sterilizers(autoclaves) set them to reach a maximum steam temperature of? And how many pounds of per square inch?

250 Fahrenheit & 15 -30 lbs per sq. in.

The current infection control guidelines of the Office Safety and Asepsis Procedures Research Foundation (OSAP) recommend that clinical surfaces be classified and maintained under the categories of:

3-touch, transfer, splash, spatter, & droplet

How often should the written exposure plan that describes how the dental office complies with the Blood-borne Pathogens Standard be reviewed and updated?

Annually

The CDC term standard precautions apply to contact with:

Applied to ALL patients

Housekeeping surfaces

Are to be cleaned w/detergent or low-level disinfectant

Precautions that should be followed when using glutaraldehyde include:

Avoid fumes, always rinse instruments thoroughly before using on patient wearing PPE

Chemicals that destroy or inactivate most species of pathogenic microorganisms on inanimate surfaces are called:

Disinfectants

How are barrier envelopes handled? How are films handled?

Barrier/plastic envelopes are trashed while the aluminum in the films are recycled all while gloved

How often should you wash your hands?

Before and after placing/removing gloves or if hands are visibly soiled, between patients

How often should a surface that has a barrier on be cleaned and disinfected?

Beginning and @ the end of each workday, between patients

How often should handpiece waterlines be flushed? How long?

Beginning of each workday (2min.) & between patients(20-30 sec.)

When should surface barriers be removed?

Between every patient

When should dental handpieces be lubricated?

Between patients & before sterilization

Sterilization monitoring may be accomplished using which process?

Biological/Physical/Chemical monitoring

Pathogens that are carried in the blood and body fluids of infected individuals and that can be transmitted to others are referred to as?

Blood-borne pathogens

What are recommended methods of sterilizing a dental handpiece?

Chemical vapor, steam sterilization, dry-heat sterilization

What agency released the now Standard of Care, which used to be Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Setting-2003?

CDC

How is Tetanus transmitted and what does it affect?

Caused by a spore-forming bacillus found in soil, dust, and animal/human feces transmitted through a wound/break in the skin. Effects the jaw.

Transmission of a disease to a susceptible person by handling contaminated instruments or by touching contaminated surfaces is a form of?

Indirect transmission

What are advantages of the self-contained water reservoirs?

Dental staff have control of the quality of water being used as well as the maintenance of the water system

What does sterilization do?

Destroys all organisms on, and sometimes inside, an object

A dental assistant, when transporting, processing contaminated patient care items is exposed to? &Through?

Exposed to infectious materials, blood-borne pathogens THROUGH percutaneous injury or contact w/

Name some acceptable types of barriers?

Fluid resistant barriers, clear plastic bags, wrap, tubing, plastic tape, sticky tape

What is a holding tank for?

Holds water (large water reservoir)

What is inherited immunity?

Immunity that is present at birth

What can cause the sterilization process to fail?

Improper instrument cleaning/packaging & insufficient processing time

Name some sterilization errors?

Improper instrument cleaning/packaging, sterilizer malfunction, and insufficient required sterilizing time

Surface disinfectant used in the office?

Iodophors

How does the ultrasonic cleaner work?

Loosens and removes debris from instruments using sound waves causing sounding vibrations

What level disinfectant is used to clean and disinfect of the dental unit and environment surfaces

Low-level disinfectant

What is the purpose of overgloves?

Prevents cross contamination of clean objects handled during treatment

What is the purpose for bagging the dental instruments?

Protects from instruments becoming contaminated after sterilization

What is the purpose of Precleaning?

Reduces # of microorganisms & removes all OPIM(Bioburden) before disinfection

Know the order of removing PPE

Remove gloves, remove eyewear, remove masks, remove lab coat. (wash/sterilize hands)

What does OSHA do?

Sets standards for employees to have a safe and healthy workplace.

What chemical disinfectant classified as intermediate-level agent is no longer recommended for use in dental offices?

Sodium Hypochlorite

What is virulence?

Strength of a pathogen's ability to cause disease

What is virology?

Study of viruses

Antiseptic is?

Substance for killing microorganisms on the skin

What are considered housekeeping surfaces?

Surfaces not contaminated during dental procedures

All reusable critical and Semicritical instruments that come in contact with the patient's blood, saliva, or mucous membranes must be heat-sterilized.

TRUE

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are the two federal agencies that play important roles in infection control in dentistry.

TRUE

Bioburden

cause disease, enough microorganisms are needed to overwhelm the body's defenses the # of pathogenic microorganisms May be related to the amount of bioburden

What is the most common route of disease transmission in the dental office?

direct transmission

The CDC _____ recommend a routine booster of the HBV vaccine.

does not

Name the chain of infection

virulence, portal of entry, # of microorganisms, susceptible host