Chapter 13.1

Question 1

Fomites

Answer 1

Inanimate items that may harbor microbes and aid in disease transmission.

Question 2

Factors that influence the level of cleanliness required for a fomite

Answer 2

• Application for which the item will be used

- Level of resistance to antimicrobial treatment by potential pathogens.

Question 3

BSL-1

Answer 3

• Those that generally do not cause infection in healthy human adults
• examples: (non-pathogenic e.coli, and bacillus subtillis

Question 4

BSL-2

Answer 4

• Those that pose a moderate risk to laboratory workers
• Typically indigenous
• Examples: Staphylococcus aureus

Question 5

BSL-3

Answer 5

• Those that have the potential to cause lethal infections by inhalation
• Directional airflow
• Examples: Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Question 6

BSL-4

Answer 6

• Those that are the most dangerous and often fatal
• Typically exotic and easily transmitted through inhalation
• require full-body suits
• Examples: Ebola, Marburg virus

Question 7

Autoclaves

Answer 7

specialized devices for sterilizing materials with pressurized steam before use or disposal

Question 8

Sterilization

Answer 8

The complete removal or killing of all vegetative cells, endospores, and viruses from the targeted item or environment.

Question 9

Sterilants

Answer 9

Chemicals that can be used to achieve sterilization

Question 10

Aseptic technique

Answer 10

Prevents contamination of sterile surfaces

Question 11

Asepsis

Answer 11

Combination of protocols that collectively maintain sterility

Question 12

Sepsis

Answer 12

Systemic inflammatory response to infection that results in high fever, increased heart rate and respiratory rates, shock and death.

Question 13

Sterile field

Answer 13

Must be used for medical procedures that carry the risk of contamination

Question 14

Commercial sterilization

Answer 14

Uses heat at a temperature low enough o preserve food quality but high enough to destroy common pathogens responsible for food poisoning

Question 15

Difference between sterilization and aseptic technique

Answer 15

sterilization is the removal or killing of all bad cells and aseptic technique is a method used to prevent contamination of sterile surfaces

Question 16

Disinfection

Answer 16

inactivates most microbes on the surface of a fomite by using antimicrobial chemicals or heat. NOT considered sterile.

Question 17

Antiseptics

Answer 17

antimicrobial chemicals safe for use on living skin or tissues

Question 18

Antisepsis

Answer 18

Applying an antiseptic

Question 19

Critical items

Answer 19

must be sterile because they will be used inside the body and tissue

Question 20

Semi-critical items

Answer 20

may contact mucous membranes or non intact skin but do not penetrate tissue. Do not need to be sterile but require high level of disinfection.

Question 21

Noncritical items

Answer 21

may contact but do not penetrate the skin

Question 22

Degerming

Answer 22

microbial numbers are significantly reduced by scrubbing living tissue with a mild chemical to avoid the transmission of pathogenic microbes

Question 23

Sanitization

Answer 23

Reduces the microbial load of an inanimate item to be safe

Question 24

Difference between a disinfectant and antiseptic

Answer 24

Disinfectants reduce or destroy microbial load of an inanimate item through the application of heat or antiseptics

Question 25

Most effective at removing microbes from a product?

Answer 25

Sterilization because it completely removes all vegetative cells, endospores, and viruses from an inanimate item

Question 26

Methods that kill the microorganism

Answer 26

identified by the suffix -cide or -cidal

Question 27

Methods that stop the growth of microorganisms

Answer 27

Identified by the suffix -stat or -static

Question 28

Microbial death curve

Answer 28

describes the progress and effectiveness of a particular protocol.
-Logarithmic

Question 29

Decimal reduction time (DRT) or D-value

Answer 29

oThe amount of time it takes for a specific protocol to produce a one order-of-magnitude decrease in the number of organisms, or the death of 90% of the population

Question 30

Two reasons for choosing a bacteriostatic treatment over a bactericidal one

Answer 30

They are less toxic to humans and other animals, and the reduced toxicity of these chemicals allows them to be impregnated safely into plastics