Deck 13: Surface and Equipment Asepsis

Question 1

Which of the following is the strongest (most potent) disinfectant?

A)A tuberculocidal disinfectant
B)A hospital-level disinfectant
C)A low-level disinfectant
D)An antiseptic

Answer 1

A tuberculocidal disinfectant

Question 2

Why are two disinfecting towelettes used during the wipe-discard-wipe procedure?

A)The first one wets the surface, and the second one cleans the surface.
B)The first one cleans the surface, and the second one disinfects the surface.
C)The first one disinfects the surface, and the second one cleans the surface.
D)The first one disinfects the surface, and the second one re-disinfects the surface for double assurance.

Answer 2

The first one cleans the surface, and the second one disinfects the surface.

Question 3

Which of the following is a high-level disinfectant/sterilant?

A)Glutaraldehyde
B)Alcohol
C)Bleach
D)Iodophor

Answer 3

Glutaraldehyde

Question 4

Which of the following microbes is not killed by low-level disinfectants or intermediate-level disinfectants?

A)Mycobacterium tuberculosis
B)Pseudomonas aeruginosa
C)Staphylococcus aureus
D)Bacterial spores

Question 5

Which of the following protective barriers are to be worn when disinfecting a surface?

A)Utility gloves
B)Utility gloves and mask
C)Utility gloves, mask, and protective clothing
D)Utility gloves, mask, protective clothing, protective eyewear

Question 6

Gloves need not be worn during which of the following activities?

A)Cleaning and disinfecting an operatory surface
B)Removing surface covers after the patient leaves
C)Placing new surface covers between patients
D)Assisting at chairside with a patient younger than age 6 years

Question 7

Which of the following is a housekeeping surface rather than a clinical contact surface?

A)Dental light handle
B)Sink
C)Switches on the hand-piece unit
D)Dental light switch

Question 8

What should be done before disinfecting a contaminated operatory surface?

A)Pre-clean the surface.
B)Cover the surface with a plastic surface cover for 10 minutes.
C)Wipe the surface with a sterilant/high-level disinfectant.
D)Make sure it has been uncovered and open to the air for at least 10 minutes.

Question 9

Which of the following types of disinfectants is not tuberculocidal?

A)Chlorines
B)Iodophors
C)Complex phenols
D)Quaternary ammonium compounds

Question 10

What is the most important property of a surface cover?

A)It must be made of latex.
B)It must be made of aluminum foil.
C)It must be disinfected before being placed on a surface.
D)It must be impervious to water.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes an intermediate-level disinfectant?

A)A virucidal agent
B)A sporicidal agent
C)A tuberculocidal agent
D)A bactericidal agent

Question 12

Which of the following terms indicate the strongest microbial killing power?

A)A virucidal agent
B)A sporicidal agent
C)A tuberculocidal agent
D)A bacteriocidal agent

Question 13

Which of the following surfaces is usually not involved in patient-to-patient spread of microbes?

A)Air/water syringe handle
B)Curing light handle
C)Sink
D)Handpiece control switch

Question 14

Which of the following is a housekeeping surface rather that a clinical contact surface and does not have to be covered or routinely cleaned and disinfected between each patient?

A)Light handles on the dental unit
B)Wall next to the dental chair
C)Switch that controls the hand pieces
D)Radiographic equipment

Question 15

What should be done to a clinical contact surface after its protective surface cover has been carefully removed at the end of a patient appointment?

A)Clean and disinfect the surface with an intermediate-level disinfectant and then add a fresh cover for the next patient.
B)Clean and disinfect the surface with a low-level disinfectant and then add a fresh cover for the next patient.
C)Clean and disinfect the surface with a high-level disinfectant and then add a fresh cover for the next patient.
D)Nothing-just add a fresh cover for the next patient.

Question 16

If you are using a disinfectant wipe (a paper towelette saturated with a disinfectant) rather than a spray disinfectant, how many wipes should be used to achieve proper cleaning and disinfection of a surface?

A)1
B)2
C)3
D)4

Question 17

Which of the following is used to kill microbes on the skin just before an injection?

A)Sterilant
B)Antiseptic
C)Antibiotic
D)Disinfectant

Question 18

If surface covers are used properly during patient treatment, which of the following procedures is not needed?

A)Wearing gloves for operatory clean-up
B)Performing hand hygiene before putting on gloves at the beginning of the appointment
C)Cleaning and disinfecting covered surfaces after the appointment
D)Changing masks between patients

Question 19

If you properly use surface covers on clinical contact surfaces at chairside for each patient, which of the following is not necessary?

A)Use gloves for patient care.
B)Clean and disinfect those surfaces between patients.
C)Package the instruments before sterilization.
D)Wear protective clothing at chairside.

Question 20

Hospital disinfectants are low-level disinfectants that have been shown to kill which of the following?

A)Streptococcus mutans, bacterial spores, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis var.bovis
B)Mycobacterium tuberculosis var.bovis
C)Bacterial spores
D)Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella choleraesuis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Question 21

How often should a surface cover on a dental light handle or light switch be replaced?

A)After every patient
B)After every three patients
C)When the cover is visibly soiled
D)Only after a high-speed handpiece is used on a patient

Question 22

How should a cotton roll or other items be retrieved from a bulk container at chairside?

A)With your fingers
B)With sterile cotton pliers or tongs
C)By dumping the container contents onto a sterile towel and picking one up with your gloved fingers
D)With gloved hands

Question 23

Storing supplies in drawers at chairside for retrieval during patient treatment can lend itself to cross-contamination of the drawer handle or of bulk items inside.

Question 24

According to the CDC, low-level disinfectants can be used on clinical contact surfaces because they are EPA-registered as a hospital disinfectant and have been shown to kill:

A)Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella choleraesuis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
B)Mycobacterium tuberculosis var.bovis.
C)human immunodeficiency virus.
D)human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus.

Question 25

What kinds of dental operatory surfaces best lend themselves to being covered with a surface cover (barrier) rather than being cleaned and disinfected between each patient?

A)Those that are difficult to clean and disinfect
B)Flat surfaces such as countertops
C)The sink basin
D)Walls

Question 26

How can you tell if a disinfectant has been registered with the EPA?

A)It is blue.
B)There is a registration number on the label.
C)Its label states that it is tuberculocidal.
D)Its label states that it is a hospital disinfectant.

Question 27

The spray-wipe-spray procedure is a technique for:

A)washing your hands.
B)disinfecting surfaces or objects.
C)adding a rust inhibitor to instruments prior to ultrasonic cleaning.
D)flushing out your eye after a chemical exposure.

Question 28

Which of the following germicidal agents are least desirable as a surface disinfectant?

A)Alcohols
B)Chlorines
C)Iodophors
D)Phenolics

Question 29

Your office just received a new disinfectant.What is the easiest way to find out how it should be used?

A)Look up the product on the internet.
B)Call the manufacturer.
C)Contact the sales representative who recommended the product.
D)Read its label.

Question 30

Manufacturers have added alcohol to which of the following types of disinfectants to make it tuberculocidal?

A)Iodophors
B)Phenolics
C)Chlorines
D)Quaternary ammonium compounds

Question 31

When using surface disinfectants in the office, one cannot verify whether the microbes on the surface have been removed or killed.

Question 32

Supplying sterile cotton pliers with each instrument set-up to reach into containers of bulk supplies (e.g., cotton rolls or cotton pledgets) is best referred to as:

A)antisepsis.
B)unit dosing.
C)aseptic retrieval.
D)high-tech management.

Question 33

Which of the following types of disinfectants can contain the same active ingredient as bleach?

A)Iodophors
B)Phenolics
C)Chlorines
D)Quaternary ammonium compounds

Question 34

What is the purpose of the second spray in the spray-wipe-spray procedure?

A)To sterilize the surface
B)To disinfect the surface
C)To clean the surface
D)To wash off the previous spray material

Question 35

A(n) _____ should never be used as a surface disinfectant.

A)high-level
B)intermediate-level
C)low-level
D)hospital

Question 36

The labels of properly approved surface disinfectants contain a registration number from which federal agency?

A)EPA
B)FDA
C)CDC
D)OSHA