INFECTION CONTROL - decontamination Flashcards
what is decontamination?
the process of cleaning, rinsing, disinfection, drying, inspection, and sterilisation
what guidance documents are used for detcontamination?
Health Protection Scotland (HPS)
www.scottishdental.org
Scottish Health Technical Memoranda (SHTM)
Scottish Health Technical Note (SHTN)
what does disinfecting alone not get rid of?
bacterial spored
you must sterilise too
what defines an instrument as sterile?
when the 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 are the top 3 most resistant microorganisms?
prions
bacterial spores
mycobacteria
what are the least 3 resistant types of microorganisms?
large non-enveloped viruses
gram-positive bacteria
lipid enveloped viruses
what is the criteria for local decontamination unit users?
fully vaccinated against Hep B
trained in the standards of infection prevention and control
can perform periodic testing of equipment and maintain accurate records
what is COSHH?
control of substances hazardous to health
what are substances hazardous to health?
biological agents - bacteria, viruses, fungi
chemicals
fumes
dust
vapours
what temperature should water be for manual cleaning?
30-35 degrees Celsius (should not exceed 45 as prions can start to coagulate and fix to instrument surfaces making cleaning more difficult)
what are features of an ultrasonic cleaner?
- interlocking lid to prevent operation with lid open and aerosols
- suspended baskets for instruments
- drain-tap to enable chamber being emptied
- control of process variables such as temperature and time (6-10 min cycle)
- a datalogger to give a retainable record of each cyc;e
what must you do prior to using the ultrasonic cleaner?
run first cycle empty to de-gas the solution
what dental instruments can not be cleaned in the ultrasonic?
dental handpieces
what temperature does the ultrasonic cleaner normally work at?
25-35 degrees Celsius
how often should solution in the ultrasonic cleaner be changed?
every 4 hours or if visible contaminated
what are the daily tests for the ultrasonic cleaner?
automatic control test
inspection of instruments