Infection Control (complete) Flashcards

1
Q

Which are ways that infection may spread in a dental clinic

A
  1. airborne organisms
  2. improper sterilization
  3. Direct contact
  4. Indirect contact
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2
Q

According to Spauldings classifications, When is an instrument needing critical disinfection? and what is the process of disinfection

A

Critical is when equipment has entered sterile tissues, including the vascular system
They need cleaning followed by sterilization

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3
Q

According to Spauldings classifications, When is an instrument needing Semi-critical disinfection? and what is the process of disinfection

A

Semi-critical is when equipment comes into contact with non-intact skin or mucus membranes, but hasn’t penetrated them
They need cleaning, with high level disinfection as a minimum. (sterilization is preferred)

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4
Q

According to Spauldings classifications, When is an instrument needing non-critical disinfection? and what is the process of disinfection

A

Equipment that touches intact skin, or doesn’t touch the patient
the need cleaning, followed by low level disinfection (some cases cleaning alone is acceptable)

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5
Q

What is sterilization

A

the complete absence of life

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6
Q

what is disinfection

A

destruction of vegetative pathogens, usually on inanimate objects

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7
Q

What does the suffix - cides mean

A

agents that kill

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8
Q

what does the suffix - static mean

A

agents which prevent growth

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9
Q

What is sepsis

A

bacterial contamination and growth

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10
Q

What is antiseptic

A

agent which destroys vegetative pathogens (usually on living tissue)

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11
Q

What is sanitation

A

Lowering bacterial counts to safe public health levels

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12
Q

is the death rate of microbes log linear

A

yes, a certain percentage of the bacteria die over time

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13
Q

what is D-value (death of microbes)

A

the time required to kill 90% of bacteria (1 log) at a specific temperature

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14
Q

How do log reduction and percent kill relate

A
for each log reduction 90% of the bacteria are killed
1 log = 90%
2 log = 99%
3 log = 99.9%
4 log = 99.99%
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15
Q

Which is better at disinfecting, sanitizing, and sterilizing: Moist heat or Dry heat

A

moist heat (dry heat requires longer time, and higher temperatures)

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16
Q

how does heat kill bacteria

A

by denaturing proteins and destroying cytoplasmic membranes

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17
Q

What are the four methods of microbial control that use moist heat

A
  1. boiling
  2. autoclaving
  3. pasteurization
  4. Ultra-high temperature sterilization
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18
Q

What can boiling kill in terms of microbes

A

vegetative cells of bacteria and fungi
viruses
protozoan trophozoites

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19
Q

What is important to consider when boiling to kill microbes

A

the boiling time (more time if at higher locations

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20
Q

What can’t boiling kill in terms of microbes

A

endospores
protozoan cysts
prions

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21
Q

What is autoclaving

A

when pressure is applied to boiling water, which prevents the escape of steam. this leads to increased temperature (121 C)

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22
Q

Does autoclaving kill endospores

A

yes

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23
Q

What is historical (batch) pasteurizaition

A

heating up something to 63 degrees celcius for 30 minutes

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24
Q

What is flash pasteurization

A

72 degrees celcius for 15 seconds

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25
Q

When do you use dry heat to sterilize

A

when you have materials that will be damaged by moist heat, or those that can’t be sterilized with moist heat

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26
Q

what is the ultimate means of sterilization

A

incineration

27
Q

What is membrane filtration

A

running a liquid medium through a filter with specific pore sizes to trap desired organisms

28
Q

What is ionizing radiation, and how does it kill bacteria

A

shooting wavelengths of less than 1nm, it disrupts bonding, and creates ions that denature DNA and other molecules

29
Q

how effective is ionizing radiation against bacteria

A

it isn’t very effective, it is more lethal to humans than to bacteria

30
Q

what is non-ionizing radiation

A

radiation with wavelengths greater than 1 nm.

31
Q

what is non-ionizing radiation used for

A

disinfecting air, transparent fluids, and surfaces of objects

32
Q

How does contact time affect disinfection

A

longer time = more effective

33
Q

how is disinfection affected by Temperature

A

hotter = more effective

34
Q

how is disinfection affected by pH

A

dependent on each chemical

35
Q

how is disinfection affected by Bioburden

A

more microbes = need a longer time

36
Q

how is disinfection affected by Extraneous matter

A

organic matter inhibits many disinfectants

37
Q

how is disinfection affected by proper exposure

A

it insures the agent gets in

38
Q

how is disinfection affected by disinfectant concentration

A

higher = better, with alcohols as the exception

39
Q
List these from least to most resistant to disinfection
spores
fungi
mycobacteria
non-enveloped viruses
enveloped viruses
gram positive bacteria 
gram negative bacteria
prions
A
envelopped viruses and gram positive bacteria
fungi and gram negative bacteria
non-enveloped viruses
spores and mycobacteria
prions
40
Q

What are the characteristics in the disinfectants with phenol (phenolics)

A
  • intermediate to low level disinfectants
  • Denatures proteins and disrupt cell membranes
  • remain active for a long time
  • ineffective against many naked viruses
41
Q

What are the characteristics of alcoholic disinfectants

A
  • intermediate level disinfectants
  • denature proteins and disrupt cytoplasmic membranes
  • evaporate rapidly
  • good surface disenfectants
  • no activity on spores
42
Q

do alcohols have activity against spores

A

nope

43
Q

do isopropyl alcohol inactivate naked viruses

A

nope

44
Q

What are the characteristics of halogen disinfectants

A

intermediate-level antimicrobial chemicals
damage via oxidation, or denaturing proteins
iodine tablets, iodophors, chlorine, bromine

45
Q

What easily inactivates halogen disinfectants

A

organic material

46
Q

What are the characteristics of oxidizing agents as disinfectants

A

high-level disinfectants
kill via oxidation
hydrogen peroxide, ozone, peracetic acid

47
Q

what is peracetic acid particularly effective against

A

spores, used to sterilize equipment

48
Q

What are the characteristics of surfactants as disinfectants

A

reduce surface tension of solvents to make them better at dissolving solutes
soaps, detergents, and quats

49
Q

Where are quats used, and what type of disinfectant are they

A

they are surfactants, and they are used in medical, food, and industrial applications

50
Q

What are the characteristics of heavy metals as disinfectants

A

alter the 3-D shape of proteins
low level bacteriostatic and fungistic agents
1% silver nitrate used to prevent blindness (gonorrhea)
copper used to control algal growth

51
Q

What are the characteristics of aldehydes as disinfectants

A

cross link groups to denature proteins and inactivate nucleic acids
glutaraldehyde both disinfects, and sterillizes (long exposure)
formalin used in embalming and disinfection

52
Q

What are the characteristics of gaseus agents as disinfectants

A

denature proteins by cross linking functional groups
used in hospitals and dental offices
can be hazardous, carcinogenic, poisonous, and flammable

53
Q

Does cellulose in paper towels inactivate iodophores

A

Yes

54
Q

Does the glutaraldehyde used in hospitals do a good job of killing HPV

A

nope

55
Q

What kind of filters are used to filter microbes out of the air

A

HEPA filters

56
Q

What is the air sampling device that mirrors the human respiratory system

A

the Anderson sampler

57
Q

how long can airborne microbes stay in the air

A

hours

58
Q

What type of handwash seems to be the best and killing microbes

A

chlorhexidine

59
Q

What are HAI’s

A

Hospital acquired infections

60
Q

what is the best disinfectant for countertops

A

70-80% ethanol

61
Q

What is the best disinfectant for large areas (floors)

A

substituted phenols or quats

62
Q

what is the best disinfectant for semicritical instruments

A

steriplex SD

63
Q

what is the best disinfectant for sterilization of heat-labile instruments

A

H2O2 Gas plasma

64
Q

What does HEPA filter stand for

A
High 
Efficiency 
Particulate 
Air
Filter