Infection Control and safety Flashcards
Sterilisation: 82 Sharp Awareness: 83-
All medical devices that have been used on patients must be considered as?
Contaminated
a combination of processes, including cleaning, rinsing, disinfection (if WD used), drying, inspection and sterilisation can be defined as?
Decontamination/ (Reprocessing)
Dental Instruments are classed as?
Medical devices
Decontamination is required to?
minimize the risk of transmission of infective agents including bacteria, viruses and prions between patients and staff.
a process by which reusable items are rendered safe for further use on patients and safe for staff to handle is known as?
Decontamination
Instrument or medical device decontamination or reprocessing of instruments is a complex?
Multistage process.
There are three methods of cleaning reusable dental instruments, what are they?
manual cleaning or using an ultrasonic bath or a washer-disinfector.
Any organic or adherent materials left on an instrument will inhibit these processes of decontamination, what else can this lead to?
- Corrosion
- Impair function
- Transmission of infection
Levels of resistance to disinfection and sterilisation vary between?
Different microorganisms
Disinfection describes a process that?
a process which eliminates many pathogenic microorganisms (except bacterial spores)
Sterilization is a term referring to any process that?
eliminates (removes) or kills all forms of microbial life, including transmissible agents such as fungi, bacteria, viruses and spore forms present on a surface
An instrument is defined as sterile when the theoretical probability of a viable microorganism being present in or on a device following a validated sterilisation process is less than one in a?
million
What is the most resistance microorganism to disinfect and sterilise?
- Prions
- Bacterial spores
- Mycobacteria
- Small non-enveloped viruses
- Gram-negative bacteria
- Fungi
- Large non-enveloped viruses
- Gram-positive bacteria
- Lipid enveloped viruses
What must be done before buying an equipment?
Check the manufacturers decontamination instructions, so that you know whether they can be decontaminated by the facilities present.
What symbol is indicated for single use instruments
= circle with the number 2 crossed out.
What happens if you use a single use device twice
= if you reprocess a single use device you become legally liable if the product fails. You also take the manufactures liability.
Preference should be given to instruments that can be sterilised through which method and why
= Give preference to instruments that can be cleaned using an ultrasonic bath or a washer-disinfector as these are automated processes which can be validated. This method includes a thermal disinfection and drying stage.
What is the MDD (manufacturers device directive)
This defines the information manufacturers are obliged to provide for the users of their products
The manufactures device directive information is presented in the form of?
Symbols on packaging so that it can be understood in any language.
The C E – European Commission mark indicates what?
that a medical device satisfies the requirement of the MDD, making it fit for use
By having the C E logo, where can these products be traded?
Only then can this product be traded on the European economic area market.
Staff working in a local decontamination unit must be vaccinated for what =
hep B
Local decontamination unit users (LDU) should all be trained in the standards of infection prevention and control (SIPCs), including:
- How infections are transmitted
- Hoe to prevent transmission of infections
- What to do in the event of an accident/near misses
- Local policies on infection prevention and control
COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health) is the law that requires employers to control substances that are?
hazardous to health.
Substances hazardous to health examples:
- Biological agents- bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microoganisms
- Chemicals
- Fumes
- Dust
- Vapours
If space allows what is desirable in a local decontamination unit?
Two rooms desirable for a local decontamination unit
If space allows, then it would be desirable to have two rooms in a local decontamination unit, what function would each room have?
- one for dirty activity (the washroom)
- one for clean activity (inspection, wrapping of instruments and sterilisation)
a single room is acceptable in a local decontamination unit (LDU) however tight procedural controls are required, what must you ensure?
- You must ensure a dirty to clean workflow is maintained.
- Dirty instruments, splashes or aerosols generated during cleaning must not encounter clean instruments
In a local decontamination unit, there needs to be the following:
- separate hand-washing sink
- storage for PPE (plastic apron, eye protection, face mask, household gloves
- containers for transporting dirty instruments.
- setting down area for dirty instruments.
What type of brush do you need to clean in a washing sink for manual cleaning?
Long-handled soft bristle brush
What are the requirements for washing sink for manual cleaning instruments?
- Long-handled soft bristle brush
- thermometer
- water level indicator
it is only desirable to have an automated dental handpiece lubricator. These machines are not validated for cleaning and do not disinfect, however their use may?
prolong the life of a handpiece.
What are the biggest issue with manual cleaning?
- Manual cleaning cannot be validated as it’s difficult to ensure that it is being carried out effectively every occasion.
- Compared to other methods of cleaning it presents a higher risk of sharps injury to staff.
With manual cleaning it is important measure volume of tap water to correct volume of enzymatic detergent to achieve exact concentration specified by manufacturer, why can we not use detergent like fairy liquid or Chlorhexidine?
Make proteins stick to the instruments. Also, you must be able to see instruments under the water, so its important to not using foaming solutions.
At what temperature should the water not exceed to and why not?
= water temp should remain at 30-35, should not exceed 45. Prion proteins start to coagulate at 45 making it more difficult to clean instruments.
what does this image show?
This picture shows water level indicator and a thermometer to ensure the correct temperature is maintained.
When washing and rinsing what must you do?
- Fully immerse instruments under water, disassemble if required to prevent aerosols
- Use long-handled bristle brush
- If instruments are heavily soiled, drain sink and repeat process.
- Preferred to rinse instruments in second sink, if not possible drain and refill to rinse.
- Fully immerse instruments to rinse thoroughly removing any residual soil and detergent
What are the pros and cons to manual cleaning?
Pros
1. Inexpensive
2. Less risk of wear and tear
3. Quicker process
4. Less instruments to purchase
Cons
1. Not an automated process
2. Cannot be validated
3. Not reproducible
4. Less effective processes
5. Increased risk of sharps injury
6. No disinfection stage
Ultrasonic cleaning uses high frequency sound waves, transmitted through a?
liquid medium.
These sound waves create an activity in the liquid called?
cavitation.
Ultrasonic cleaner devices need to comply with the requirements of?
SHTM 2030
What are the following features found in an ultrasonic cleaner?
- Interlocking lid to prevent operation with lid open and prevents aerosols
- Suspended baskets for instruments
- Drain-tap to enable chamber being emptied
- Control of process variables such as temperatures and time (6 - 10 minute cycle)
- A printer to provide a retainable record of each cleaning cycle
How often should the solution be changed in an ultrasonic cleaner?
- The solution must be changed every 4 hours or after use if visibly contaminated as debris will inhibit the cleaning process
Ultrasonic cleaning uses high frequency sound waves, transmitted through a liquid medium. These sound waves create an activity in the liquid called cavitation. This occurs as the sound waves pass through the liquid, causing the formation of microscopic bubbles which are forced to expand. Once they reach a size where they can no longer support they implode. The cavitational process creates a scrubbing effect within in the liquid which gently agitates any debris off the surface of any instrument immersed in the tank.