Infection Control and Sterilization Standards
What the exam tests
This domain tests standard precautions, instrument processing, sterilization monitoring, and surface and waterline management. New Hampshire's Board rules align with CDC recommendations and OSHA requirements.
Core rules
- Treat all blood and other potentially infectious material as infectious. Perform hand hygiene before and after glove use; wear gloves, mask, eye protection, and gown as indicated.
- Prevent sharps injuries: do not recap by hand, do not bend or break needles, and place sharps in rigid containers.
- Clean instruments before sterilization. An ultrasonic cleaner or washer-disinfector cleans; it does not sterilize. Package and sterilize critical items with an autoclave or accepted sterilizer.
- Monitor every load with process indicators and monitor sterilizers biologically-typically at least weekly-with spore testing. A positive spore test requires removing the sterilizer from service, retesting, and assessing recall of items.
- Distinguish disinfection of surfaces from sterilization of critical instruments. Maintain dental unit waterlines and follow the office's infection control plan.
Worked example
A spore test is positive. Reasoning: stop using that sterilizer, notify the infection control coordinator, repeat biological testing, and determine whether instruments from affected loads must be recalled and reprocessed. Do not simply run another load and continue.
Traps that cost marks
Calling ultrasonic cleaning “sterilization”; storing sterile packs in a contaminated drawer; believing gloves replace hand hygiene; and treating a positive spore test as a paperwork problem rather than a patient-safety event.