CER CER - Certified Endoscope Reprocessor Chemical Disinfectants and Germicides Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary reason superoxidized water (e.g., Sterilox) is not widely adopted for endoscope HLD in the US?
- Short shelf life and must be generated on-site (Correct answer)
- Insufficient efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Incompatibility with flexible endoscopes
- Lack of FDA clearance
Correct answer: Short shelf life and must be generated on-site
Superoxidized water degrades rapidly and must be generated on-site immediately before use, making logistics challenging for routine HLD programs.
Question 2: Which property of hydrogen peroxide plasma sterilization makes it unsuitable for endoscopes with long, narrow lumens?
- Inability to penetrate deep lumens due to diffusion limits (Correct answer)
- Excessive temperature
- Corrosive effect on stainless steel
- Activation of residual organic material
Correct answer: Inability to penetrate deep lumens due to diffusion limits
Hydrogen peroxide plasma has diffusion limitations that prevent adequate penetration of long, narrow lumens common in flexible endoscopes.
Question 3: When using a chemical HLD solution, how should reprocessing staff verify the solution's concentration before each use cycle?
- Test with the manufacturer's specific MEC test strips (Correct answer)
- Check expiration date on the container only
- Measure solution color with a colorimetric chart
- Confirm pH with universal indicator paper
Correct answer: Test with the manufacturer's specific MEC test strips
Manufacturer-supplied MEC test strips are the validated method for confirming that a disinfectant solution remains above the minimum effective concentration.
Question 4: OPA solution leaves a gray stain on which type of tissue if residual chemical contacts the patient?
- Mucous membranes (Correct answer)
- Skin only
- Bone tissue
- Adipose tissue
Correct answer: Mucous membranes
OPA can cause gray staining of mucous membranes, which is why thorough rinsing after HLD is critical before scope use.
Question 5: What is the required minimum soak time for glutaraldehyde 2.4% to achieve high-level disinfection at 25°C (77°F)?
- 45 minutes (Correct answer)
- 10 minutes
- 20 minutes
- 60 minutes
Correct answer: 45 minutes
At 25°C, glutaraldehyde 2.4% requires a minimum 45-minute soak to achieve HLD per most manufacturer instructions for use.
Question 6: Which chemical disinfectant is known to fix proteins to endoscope surfaces if used before adequate cleaning?
- Glutaraldehyde (Correct answer)
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Peracetic acid
- Quaternary ammonium compounds
Correct answer: Glutaraldehyde
Glutaraldehyde is a protein-fixing agent, and if applied before thorough manual cleaning, it can permanently bind organic material to endoscope channels.
CER CER - Certified Endoscope Reprocessor Chemical Disinfectants and Germicides Questions and Answers 2
What is the primary reason superoxidized water (e.g., Sterilox) is not widely adopted for endoscope HLD in the US?