DANB ICE key terms

Infection control practices used for every patient regardless of known health status, including hand hygiene, gloves, eyewear, masks, gowns, and safe handling of sharps and body fluids.

The six-link sequence needed for an infection to spread: infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host. Breaking any one link stops transmission.

The route an infectious agent takes from its source to a new host, such as direct contact, droplets, airborne particles, or a contaminated object.

Spread of large respiratory droplets that travel only a short distance, usually about three to six feet, and land on the eyes, nose, or mouth of another person.

Spread of very small particles or droplet nuclei that stay suspended in the air and can be breathed in far from the source, as with tuberculosis.

Cleaning the hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. It is done before and after patient contact, after removing gloves, and after touching contaminated items.

Barrier items worn to keep blood, saliva, and other infectious materials off the skin, mucous membranes, and clothing; includes gloves, masks, eyewear, and gowns.

Single-use disposable coverings for the hands that block contact with blood and body fluids; they are changed between patients and never washed or reused.

Under OSHA rules, body fluids other than blood that can carry bloodborne pathogens, such as saliva in dental procedures, semen, vaginal secretions, and amniotic fluid.

Microorganisms carried in blood that can cause disease in humans, especially hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus.

Needles, scalpel blades, burs, and broken glass that can cut or puncture skin; they are handled carefully and placed directly into a puncture-resistant sharps container.

Practices that keep instruments, supplies, and work areas free of microorganisms, such as using sterile items, maintaining a sterile field, and avoiding contamination during procedures.

Objects that enter sterile tissue, bone, or the bloodstream, such as surgical instruments and scalers; they must be sterilized before every use.

Items that contact mucous membranes or nonintact skin but do not penetrate tissue, such as mouth mirrors and impression trays; they need high-level disinfection at minimum.

Items that touch only intact skin or do not touch the patient at all, such as chairs, countertops, and blood pressure cuffs; they need cleaning and low-level disinfection.

A surface touched by hands or splattered with blood or saliva during care, such as light handles, bracket trays, and switches; it is cleaned and disinfected or barrier-protected between patients.

A disposable plastic or foil cover placed over equipment that is hard to clean, such as light handles or keyboards, and replaced between patients.

Removing visible soil, blood, and debris from a surface or instrument with detergent and water or an enzymatic cleaner; it must be done before disinfection or sterilization.

Using a chemical agent to destroy or greatly reduce harmful microorganisms on surfaces or equipment; unlike sterilization, it does not reliably kill bacterial spores.

An EPA-registered hospital disinfectant that kills most growing bacteria and some viruses and fungi; it is used for noncritical surfaces and equipment.

A chemical process that destroys all microorganisms except large numbers of bacterial spores; it is used for semicritical items and heat-sensitive equipment.

The narrow tubing that carries water to handpieces and air-water syringes; it can grow biofilm and must be flushed and treated to keep bacterial counts within accepted limits.

A slimy layer of bacteria and other microbes stuck to a surface, such as the inside of water tubing; it protects the organisms and resists simple flushing.

Waste that can spread bloodborne infection, such as blood-soaked materials and sharps; it must be separated, labeled, stored, and disposed of according to specific rules.

A process that destroys all microbial life, including bacterial spores, on an object; it is required for critical items and must be checked with monitoring.

The blood, tissue, and microorganisms left on an instrument before processing; it must be removed by cleaning because soil can shield microbes from the sterilant.

A machine that uses high-frequency sound waves in a detergent solution to loosen debris from instruments, especially hinges and crevices; it cleans but does not sterilize.

Equipment that sterilizes with saturated steam under pressure at high temperature; steam sterilization is the most widely used and reliable method in dentistry.

A test strip or vial containing highly resistant bacterial spores; after processing, no growth confirms the sterilizer is actually killing spores.

Tape, strips, or labels that change color when exposed to sterilizing conditions; they show an item went through the cycle but do not prove sterility.

A test pack used in pre-vacuum steam sterilizers to confirm that air is removed and steam reaches the entire load; it is run at the start of each day.

The principle that a properly packaged and stored sterile item stays sterile until the package is torn, wet, or opened, rather than expiring on a set date.

Cleaning, lubricating, and heat-sterilizing dental handpieces and attachments between patients following the manufacturer's instructions; surface wiping alone is not acceptable.

The federal agency that enforces workplace safety rules, including the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, which sets infection control requirements for dental offices.

A written plan describing how a practice protects workers from bloodborne pathogens, covering procedures, protective equipment, training, and what to do after an exposure; reviewed and updated yearly.

A specific event, such as a needlestick or a splash to the eyes or mouth, that may allow bloodborne pathogens to enter the body; it must be reported and evaluated promptly.

A vaccine offered free of charge to employees with occupational exposure to blood, usually within ten working days of assignment, unless they have been vaccinated or decline in writing.

A confidential record of needlesticks and other sharps injuries that notes the device involved, how the injury happened, and the case details, without naming the employee.

Physical devices that isolate or remove a hazard, such as sharps containers, self-sheathing needles, and ventilation; they are preferred over relying on worker behavior alone.