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) ®istered 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
