Disinfection and decontamination Flashcards
what is contamination
the soliling or pollution of inanimate objects or living materials with harmful or potentially infectious materials
what is decontamination
combination of processes and includes cleaning, disinfection and sterilization, according to the intended use of the device. This aims to render a re-usable item safe for further use on service users and for handling by staff
what type of equipment is reusable
equipment that is near the patient but has not been invasive eg the dental chair
what are examples of invasive medical devices
dental instruments or endoscopes
how should equipment be decontaminated
accordance with manufacturors instructions or local best practice guidance
what does the device need to comply with
European Medical Devices Regulations 2018 where applicable
what does inadequate decontamination allow the transfer of
microorganisms
Foreign protein which may cause adverse reactions such as granuloma, adhesions or variant Creufeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD)
what is the order of resistance to decontamination most to least
Prions Bacterial spores Mycobacteria Non-enveloped viruses Fungi Gram negative bacteria Gram positive bacteria Enveloped viruses
what do we do for high risk equipment
sterilize it
what do we do for medium risk equipment
sterilize it or disinfections
when might chemical disinfectants fail
when dilutions and contact times are not adhered to
what are alcohol wipes not protective against
spores
what do we use to clean the dental unit water lines
oxygenal
alpron
what do we use to clean blood and body fluids
10000 ppm sodium dichloraisocy-anuate NaDCC
what are the advantages of chemical disinfection
Inexpensive (ish), portable (ish), may sterilize given the right conditions
