ICE Disease Transmission & Safety Protocols Flashcards
6 cards from real DANB practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 ICE Disease Transmission & Safety Protocols flashcards as text
Which route of disease transmission is most significant in dental healthcare settings?
Answer: Direct contact with blood through percutaneous injury
Percutaneous injuries (needlestick, sharp instrument cuts) represent the most significant route for bloodborne pathogen transmission in dental settings.
What is the primary purpose of Standard Precautions in dental practice?
Answer: To treat all patients as potentially infectious and prevent pathogen transmission
Standard Precautions assume all blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes may contain transmissible agents regardless of known infection status.
When should Transmission-Based Precautions be added to Standard Precautions in a dental office?
Answer: When a patient has a known or suspected infection requiring additional precautions beyond standard measures
Transmission-Based Precautions supplement Standard Precautions for specific pathogens spread by contact, droplet, or airborne routes.
What is the recommended post-exposure protocol after a dental needlestick injury?
Answer: Immediately wash the wound, report the incident, seek medical evaluation, and test the source patient
The protocol includes immediate wound washing, reporting, medical evaluation with baseline blood testing, source patient testing, and potential post-exposure prophylaxis.
Which patient should have elective dental treatment deferred for medical evaluation?
Answer: A patient with active productive cough and unexplained weight loss suggestive of pulmonary TB
Active pulmonary TB symptoms require deferral because TB transmits via airborne droplet nuclei that standard dental masks cannot filter.
What is the chain of infection and why is it important for dental infection control?
Answer: Six linked elements for disease transmission: agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host
Understanding the six elements allows targeted interventions at any link to break the chain and prevent infection.