Infection Control, Sanitation, and Safety Practices
Core concepts
Infection control rests on the chain of infection: a pathogen, a reservoir, a portal of exit, a mode of transmission, a portal of entry, and a susceptible host. Candidates must distinguish cleaning (removing soil), sanitizing (reducing bacteria to a safe level), disinfection (destroying most pathogenic organisms on nonporous surfaces), and sterilization (destroying all microbial life, including spores). Bacteria are one-celled; cocci are round, bacilli rod-shaped, spirilla spiral. Viruses need a host cell; fungi include molds and yeasts; parasites include pediculosis and scabies, which are referred out.
Rules that show up in questions
- Disinfect nonporous implements with an EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectant at the label's dilution and contact time; any blood or body-fluid contact calls for a tuberculocidal product.
- Porous items (wood, sponges, some files, towels) cannot be reliably disinfected - use them once or not at all.
- UV cabinets are not sterilizers and never substitute for disinfection.
- Follow Standard Precautions: treat all blood and body fluids as infectious, wear gloves, and wash hands with soap and water before and after every client.
Traps
Swapping disinfect and sterilize; claiming hands can be cleaned with disinfectant; applying a surface disinfectant to skin; assuming a quick wipe equals disinfection when the contact time was ignored.
Rule of thumb
Read the label first: concentration, contact time, and EPA registration decide whether an implement is truly disinfected. A 10-minute soak in an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant is the common textbook benchmark, but never shorter than the manufacturer's stated contact time.