Infection Control
This domain tests standard precautions, sterilisation, disinfection, sharps safety and post-exposure management. The exam is practical: it asks what you do before, during and after a procedure to prevent transmission.
Standard precautions
- Treat every patient as potentially infectious. Perform hand hygiene before and after contact, use gloves, mask, eye protection and gown as indicated.
- Do not recap needles; dispose of sharps immediately in a rigid container. Clean spills with detergent and disinfectant.
Sterilisation and disinfection
- Autoclave at 121 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes or 134 degrees Celsius for about 3 minutes, following the manufacturer's cycle. Use pouches and indicators; run spore tests regularly.
- Heat-sensitive items require appropriate low-temperature sterilisation or single use. Alcohol is a disinfectant, not a sterilant. Surfaces require a validated disinfectant.
- Dental unit waterlines need flushing and monitoring; handpieces require cleaning and sterilisation between patients.
Worked example
A clinician sustains a needlestick from a patient with hepatitis C. Reasoning: wash the wound, report immediately, test the source and the clinician, and arrange follow-up. There is no vaccine and no recommended post-exposure prophylaxis for hepatitis C, unlike hepatitis B and HIV.
Traps that cost marks
Alcohol wipes do not sterilise instruments. Autoclave bags must not be overfilled. Handpieces cannot be wiped and reused. Recapping needles causes injuries. Infection control applies to every patient, not only known carriers.