Infection Control and Patient Safety Regulations
What this domain tests
Infection control and patient safety requirements drawn from CDC guidelines, OSHA bloodborne pathogens rules, and Board regulations.
Core rules
- Use standard precautions for every patient: hand hygiene, gloves, mask, eye protection, and gown when splatter is likely.
- Sterilize critical and semicritical instruments; use biological indicators (spore tests) at least weekly and document results. A positive spore test requires removing the autoclave from service, recalling or retesting, and reprocessing items since the last negative test.
- Disinfect surfaces with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant; use barriers; handle sharps safely and never recap by hand unless a safety device is used.
- Maintain an exposure control plan, hepatitis B vaccination offer, post-exposure evaluation, and training records.
- Manage dental unit waterlines and follow single-use device labeling.
Worked example
An office gets a positive spore test on Friday. The autoclave is taken out of service. Instruments processed since the last negative test are considered non-sterile and must be reprocessed; the autoclave is serviced and retested before returning to use. The event and corrective action are documented.
Traps
Calling wiped surfaces sterile; storing loose instruments in drawers; skipping spore tests because the autoclave looks fine; recapping needles by hand; treating OSHA as irrelevant to Board discipline.