Infection control/safety

Question 1

What is patient safety defined as?

Answer 1

the avoidance of unintended or unexpected harm to people during the provision of health care

Question 2

Ideally, what two rooms are required for an LDU?

Answer 2

• washroom
• sterilisation room

Question 3

For manual cleaning of instruments, what temperature should the water be?

Answer 3

ideally 30-35 degrees, should not exceed 45 degrees as proteins can coagulate and fix to instrument surfaces

Question 4

Why must you use a specific enzymatic detergent for manual cleaning of instruments?

Answer 4

any other type of detergent cab allow prion proteins to stick to instruments

Question 5

What type of brush is used to wash and rinse instruments during manual cleaning?

Answer 5

long-handled soft bristle brush

Question 6

How should instruments be dried when manually cleaning?

Answer 6

• use disposable, lint free towels
• must not be allowed to air dry as inadequate moisture can allow moisture to be trapped

Question 7

Once dried, what is the next step for instruments being manually cleaned?

Answer 7

packaged prior to sterilisation

Question 8

What must be used to inspect instruments during cleaning?

Answer 8

illuminated magnifier

Question 9

What should you do with an ultrasonic cleaner before placing instruments in for cleaning?

Answer 9

run first cycle empty to de-gas the solution

Question 10

How long does an ultrasonic cleaning cycle generally last?

Answer 10

7-10mins

Question 11

How often should the solution in an ultrasonic cleaner be changed?

Answer 11

if visibly contaminated or every 4 hours

Question 12

What is the preferred method for the cleaning of dental instruments?

Answer 12

washer-disinfector

Question 13

What kind of process is a washer-disinfector?

Answer 13

automated process that can be validated

Question 14

What stage does the use of a washer-disinfector incorporate?

Answer 14

disinfection stage (renders instruments safe for handling and inspection)
either thermal (preferred) or chemical

Question 15

What are the 5 stages of the washer-disinfector?

Answer 15

1) pre wash
2) wash
3) rinse
4) thermal disinfection
5) drying

Question 16

What temperature does the thermal disinfection occur at in a washer-disinfector cycle?

Answer 16

80 degrees for 10 mins or 90 degrees for 1 min

Question 17

What does packaging instruments prior to sterilisation do?

Answer 17

maintains their sterility

Question 18

Packaging material for pre-sterilisation should be what?

Answer 18

• allow steam penetration
• allow steam to penetrate around instruments
• withstand sterilisation process

Question 19

What on the instrument packaging indicates when sterilisation parameters are met?

Answer 19

yellow arrow on packaging turns brown

Question 20

To kill microorganisms in sterilisation, what cycle is required?

Answer 20

134-137 degrees for a minimum of 3 minutes at a 2.1-2.25 bar gauge pressure

Question 21

What are the three types of sterilisation cycle?

Answer 21

B, N and S

Question 22

What is the preferred sterilisation cycle and what does it involve?

Answer 22

Type B, (vacuumed)
- active air removal using air pump
- post sterilisation drying cycle
- can sterilise wrapped, unwrapped, solid , hollow bore and lumened instruments

Question 23

What is type N sterilisation?

Answer 23

non-vacuum
- designed for unwrapped solid instruments, cannot assure sterilisation of handpieces or instruments with lumens
- produces sterilised rather than sterile instruments

Question 24

What kind of water is required for sterilisation?

Answer 24

• low mineral, pathogen and endotoxin free
• distilled water

Question 25

What is the definition of an aerosol?

Answer 25

suspension of a solid or a liquid within a gas

Question 26

What is an AGP?

Answer 26

any medical, dental or patient care procedure that results in the production of airborne particles <5microm in size (aerosols), which can remain suspended in the air, travel over a distance and may cause infection if they are inhaled

Question 27

A red ring handpiece has a speed increasing ratio of what?

Answer 27

1:5

Question 28

What speed of handpiece is shown to produce minimal aerosol?

Answer 28

<60,000rpm