Infection Control, Sanitation, and Disinfection
What the exam tests
Infection control questions test the chain of infection and the correct level of decontamination for each item. The exam expects you to distinguish cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization; classify implements; and apply hand hygiene and personal protective equipment in the right order. A recurring theme is that visible debris must be removed before a disinfectant can work.
Core concepts
- Cleaning removes soil, oil, and debris with soap or detergent and water.
- Disinfection destroys most pathogenic organisms on nonporous surfaces but not necessarily bacterial spores.
- Sterilization destroys all microbial life, including spores, and is reserved for items that penetrate skin or contact blood.
- Critical items penetrate skin; semicritical items contact mucous membranes or broken skin; noncritical items contact intact skin.
- Porous items such as files, buffers, and wooden sticks cannot be adequately disinfected and must be discarded or kept single-use.
- Wash hands before and after each client, wear gloves when contact with blood or body fluids is likely, and never eat or drink at the work station.
Worked example
A metal nipper falls on the floor. You pick it up with a barrier, clean it with soap and water to remove debris, then immerse it in an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant for the label's contact time. A porous emery board that falls is discarded because it cannot be cleaned and disinfected reliably. The reasoning is that cleaning precedes disinfection, and porous materials cannot be made safe for reuse.
Traps
Calling a sanitizer a disinfectant. Relying on a UV cabinet instead of chemical disinfection. Topping off a disinfectant instead of changing it at the required interval. Wearing the same gloves for cleanup and the next client.