HCAI 2 - Prevention

Question 1

Aseptic technique

Answer 1

Practices and procedures performed under controlled conditions, aimed at limiting the spread of potential pathogens

Question 2

Function of protein A in C. dificile

Answer 2

Inhibits phagocytosis

Question 3

Why do IV lines have to be moved every 1 or 2 days?

Answer 3

This prevents bacterial colonisation

Question 4

Positive pressure rooms

Answer 4

Room has a higher pressure than surrounding rooms
Used when patient is severely immunocompromised
Organisms can’t enter the room in the air

Question 5

Negative pressure rooms

Answer 5

Room has a lower pressure than surrounding rooms

Used when patient is extremely infectious, airborne spread

Question 6

Mask that can protect against airborne viral transmission

Answer 6

Submicron particulate mask

Question 7

ESBL

Answer 7

Extended-spectrum beta lactamase

Question 8

Disinfection

Answer 8

Removing an article of some or all of its burden of microorganisms

Question 9

Sterilisation

Answer 9

Destruction or removal of all microorganisms, spores and other infectious agents from an article

Question 10

Methods of disinfection

Answer 10

Hot water/steam
Washing/cleaning
Chemical disinfectants

Question 11

Examples of chemical disinfectants

Answer 11

Hypochorite (bleach)
Alcohols
Chlorhexidine
Phenols

Question 12

Sterility assurance

Answer 12

A probability that a microorganism will survive a sterilisation process
Will render a proportion of sterilised articles unsterile

Question 13

Units used to measure sterility assurance

Answer 13

Log10 of organisms

Question 14

Determining contamination of an article

Answer 14

Perform a viable count
Prepare dilutions of a sample
Spread on agar plates, incubate
Count colonies

Question 15

Killing rate curve

Answer 15

Determine initial viable count
Expose to agent
Repeated viable counts
Calculate Dx time

Question 16

Dx value

Answer 16

Decimal reduction time

Time to reduce a particular population ten-fold at a particular temperature (90% reduction)

Question 17

Sterilisation cycles
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

Answer 17

1) Preparation time
2) Penetration time
3) Holding time
4) Safety margin
5) Cool down/drying/aerating

Question 18

Sterilisation time

Answer 18

Penetrating time+holding time

Question 19

Penetration time

Answer 19

Time for pack temperature to rise to chamber temperature

Question 20

Moist heat mechanism of killing

Answer 20

Coagulation

Question 21

Dry heat mechanism of killing

Answer 21

Oxidation

Question 22

Most effective kind of heat sterilisation

Answer 22

Moist heat under pressure

Question 23

Upon condensation, moist heat:

Answer 23

Liberates intense latent heat

Contracts in volume (drawing in more steam)

Question 24

Pros of moist heat

Answer 24

Uses lower temperature

Shorter time needed

Question 25

Cons of moist heat

Answer 25

Corrosive

Doesn’t penetrate oils and solids

Question 26

Pros of dry heat

Answer 26

Penetrates oils and solids

Non-corrosive

Question 27

Cons of dry heat

Answer 27

Requires higher temperature

Longer time needed