Safety & Sanitation Standards Flashcards
7 cards from real CME practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Safety & Sanitation Standards flashcards as text
Which of the following best describes the difference between sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization?
Answer: Sanitization reduces microbes to safe levels; disinfection kills most pathogens; sterilization destroys all microbial life including spores
These three processes represent increasing levels of microbial elimination, from reducing counts (sanitization) to killing most pathogens (disinfection) to destroying all life forms including spores (sterilization).
A client discloses they are HIV-positive before their electrology appointment. The practitioner should:
Answer: Treat the client using the same Standard Precautions used for every client
Standard Precautions treat every client as potentially infectious, so no additional precautions beyond established protocols are required for a known HIV-positive client.
What is the purpose of an eyewash station in an electrology practice?
Answer: To provide immediate decontamination if chemical disinfectants or blood splatter contact the eyes
OSHA requires accessible eyewash stations wherever employees may be exposed to hazardous chemicals or bloodborne pathogens that could splash into the eyes.
What is the recommended action when the outer packaging of a sterile instrument pouch is found to be wet or damaged?
Answer: Consider the package non-sterile and reprocess the instruments
Wet or damaged packaging compromises the sterility barrier; the package is considered contaminated and instruments must be reprocessed.
Which of the following is required documentation under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard following an employee needlestick exposure?
Answer: A confidential written medical evaluation and follow-up record
OSHA requires a confidential written medical evaluation, documentation of the route of exposure, and a record of follow-up testing and treatment.
Why must surfaces in the treatment area be covered with disposable barriers or disinfected between each client?
Answer: To prevent transfer of microorganisms from one client to the next via contaminated surfaces
Environmental surfaces touched during treatment can harbor bloodborne pathogens and other organisms that can be transferred to subsequent clients.
When must an electrologist perform hand hygiene during a client encounter?
Answer: Before gloving, after removing gloves, before and after client contact, and after contact with contaminated surfaces
Hand hygiene must occur at multiple points in the encounter because gloves do not provide complete protection and hands can become contaminated when removing gloves.