Prevention and prophylaxis

Question 1

What is cleaning?

Answer 1

Removing large amounts of material

Question 2

Disinfection

Answer 2

Reducing the number of microorganisms present

Question 3

Sterilisation

Answer 3

Remove all living organisms

Question 4

How long can C. difficile live on a surface?

Answer 4

5 months

Question 5

How long can Klebsiella pneumoniae live on a surface?

Answer 5

30 months

Question 6

Chlorine based disinfectants

Answer 6

Sodium hypochlorite, choline dioxide
Broad based microcidal activity
Rapid and cheap used in the environment

Question 7

Quarternary ammonium salts

Answer 7

Used near patients
Safe and stable but easily inactivated
No sporocidal activity
P. aeruginosa can persist

Question 8

Cleaning of medical instruments

Answer 8

Flushed, washed, rinsed, thermal disinfection (90 degrees for 1 min), packaged and autoclaved

Question 9

Alternatives to autoclaving

Answer 9

Ethylene oxide (alkylation of protein/DNA/RNA)
Glutaraldehyde (crosslinking of macromolecules)
Peracetic acid (oxidation)
Ionising radiation (ROS production)

Question 10

HEPA

Answer 10

High Efficiency Particle Arrestance

Removes 99.7% of all particles

Question 11

Antisepsis of body and surgeons

Answer 11

Iodophor inactivates proteins

Chlorhexidine used which disrupts membrane integrity

Question 12

Prophylaxis

Answer 12

Anywhere where the patient is colonised by S. aureus, in GI, respiratory and genital tract surgeries
Repair of open wounds or fractures
Anywhere with inflammation or pus

Question 13

S. aureus decolonisation

Answer 13

Mupirocin

Question 14

Post exposure prophylaxis when someone comes into contact with

Answer 14

Rheumatic fever (Penicllin G)
Bacterial meningitis (rifampicin, inosazoid)
Bitten by an animal or human (ampicillin sulbactam or metronidazole for anaerobes)
Heart valve replacement due to endocarditis
Burns are dressed with silver