Antisepsis, sterilization, disinfection

Question 1

Define steralization

Answer 1

a process that destroys or eliminates all froms of microbial life

Question 2

How is sterilization carried out in healthcare facilities?

Answer 2

physical or chemical methods

Question 3

Define disinfection

Answer 3

a process that eliminates many or all pathogenic microorganisms, except bacterial spores, on inanimate objects

Question 4

Define antisepsis

Answer 4

reduction or microorganisms on lving tissu and skin

Question 5

Describe the limitations of antiseptics

Answer 5

Do not kill spores and cannot be used as disinfectants

Question 6

How is disinfection categorized?

Answer 6

High level disinfection, intermediate level disinfection and low level disinfection

Question 7

Define high level disinfection

Answer 7

Destroys all micro-organisms except high numbers of bacterial spores

Question 8

What is HLD used for?

Answer 8

heat sensitive semi-critical intems like GI scopes and brochoscopes

Question 9

Define Intermediate level disinfection

Answer 9

destroys vegitative bacteria, mycobacteria, most viruses, most fungi, but not bacterial spores

Question 10

What is intermediate level disinfection used for?

Answer 10

non critical patient care items and surfaces with visible blood

Question 11

Define low level disinfection

Answer 11

destroys vegetative bacteria, some fungi and viruses but not mycobacteria or spores

Question 12

What is low level disinfection used for?

Answer 12

non critical patient care items and surfaces without visible blood

Question 13

Please give two examples of HLD

Answer 13

Pasteurization and liquid emersion

Question 14

-cidal? -static?

Answer 14

kills microorganisms. inhibits growth of microorganisms

Question 15

Define decontamination

Answer 15

removal of debris, blood, and proteins. it does not necessarily render the device, “safe to handle”

Question 16

What is the goal in a hospital?

Answer 16

Reduce the organisms to a safe level

Question 17

What are critical items?

Answer 17

Items that enter normally sterile parts of the human body,

Question 18

What is the preferred method of cleaning for critical items?

Answer 18

sterilization

Question 19

What are some examples of critical items?

Answer 19

implants, invasive monitoring devices, surgical instruments

Question 20

What are semicritical items?

Answer 20

items that come into contact with mucous membranes or nonintact skin and should be free or microorganisms except spores

Question 21

How should semicritical items be cleaned?

Answer 21

with HLD

Question 22

What are examples of HDL?

Answer 22

gluteraldehyde, stabilized hydrogen peroxide, peracetic aid, a chlorine compound

Question 23

What are examples of semicritical items?

Answer 23

endoscopes, laryngoscope blades, esophageal probes, RT and anesthesia equiptment

Question 24

What are non-critical items?

Answer 24

items that come into contact with intact skin by not mucous membranes

Question 25

What are some examples of non-critical items?

Answer 25

bedpans, bp cuffs, crutches. computers

Question 26

Name common disinfetion and sterilization methods

Answer 26

``` 1- Steam (autoclaving) 2- Ethylene oxide gans 3- Gas plasma (hydrogen peroxide or a mixutre of hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid) 4- Liquid sterilization 5- Alcohols 6- Quats 7- Chlorines ```

Question 27

What is alcohol best for

Answer 27

intermediate level and low level disinfection and antisepsis

Question 28

What are common disinfectats for living tissue?

Answer 28

``` alcohols chlorhexidine lodophors Heavy metals Triclosan ```

Question 29

What are the advantages of quats?

Answer 29

Non staining and relatively nontoxic, and they act as detergents as well as disinfectants

Question 30

What is a drawback to ethylene oxide?

Answer 30

ETP is txic, carcinogenic and flammable and needs aeration time

Question 31

What are the draw backs to gas plasma?

Answer 31

some endoscopes or medical devices with log or narrow lumens cannot be cleaned

Question 32

What is liquid sterilizaiton used for/

Answer 32

Point-of-use system and used for immersible instruments only

Question 33

What is the drawbacks to alcohols?

Answer 33

cannot penetrate protein rich materials and are flammable

Question 34

To what method do some organisms have resistnace genes?

Answer 34

Quats

Question 35

What are quats not effective against?

Answer 35

spores and tuberculosis

Question 36

what are quats typically used for?

Answer 36

non critical surfaces

Question 37

What is the drawback to chlorines?

Answer 37

solutions are unstable once diluted

Question 38

What is trislocan used in? Problems with it?

Answer 38

skin care products. there is some resistance to it.

Question 39

Are heavy metals bacteriocidal or -static?

Answer 39

-static only

Question 40

What are heavy metals used for?

Answer 40

Topical wounds

Question 41

What are iodophores used for?

Answer 41

antisepsis of skin, mucous membranes and wound sites

Question 42

How long does chlorhexidine work for?

Answer 42

up to 6 hours after administration