DANB ICE case studies
DANB ICE · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The DANB Infection Control Examination (ICE) is a multiple-choice exam from the Dental Assisting National Board that tests whether a dental team member can apply infection prevention principles in a working operatory rather than simply recite them. It is intended for dental assistants and other oral healthcare workers who need to document infection control competency - for a credential, for a state requirement, or for employer documentation. The DANB ICE case studies are 5 cases and about 4,027 words.
1The Torn Glove, the Liquid Bandage, and One Spare Pair
On a Wednesday afternoon, a dental hygienist is 40 minutes into full-mouth periodontal debridement on a 55-year-old patient whose chart lists treated hepatitis C and type 2 diabetes. While repositioning the suction, she notices a 1 cm tear across the palmar surface of her right index glove, and a smear of the patient's blood sits against the skin underneath.
763 words, about 4 min2A Suture Needle, a Refused Source Test, and a Friday Clock
At 4:40 on a Friday afternoon, a dental assistant is helping the dentist close after a surgical extraction on a 28-year-old whose health history is blank. While the dentist hands her a loaded needle holder, a distraction at the doorway makes her shift her hand, and the suture needle passes through the thenar eminence of her left palm.
816 words, about 4 min3Ten-Minute Contact Time in a Fifteen-Minute Turnover
A practice runs two operatories with one assistant and a 15-minute turnover target on a 32-patient day. The EPA-registered hospital disinfectant they use carries a 10-minute contact time on its label.
778 words, about 4 min4Monday Morning After a Positive Spore Test
Sometime on Friday, the assistant ran the last three loads of the week in the office's 12-year-old pre-vacuum autoclave. On Monday morning, the biological indicator from Friday's final load, incubated in the office over the weekend alongside its control, reads positive.
820 words, about 4 min51,200 CFU and a Full Day on Unit Two
At the Monday huddle, the office manager reports quarterly water testing: unit #2 tested at 1,200 CFU/mL, while units #1 and #3 came in at 180 and 220. Unit #2 is a self-contained bottle system filled from the treatment-room tap each morning; the bottle is rinsed with tap water once a week, and the lines were last shock-treated 11 months ago with a product the manufacturer specifies for a 1-hour dwell.
850 words, about 4 min