IAHCSMM (MCQ) 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which biological indicator (BI) organism is used to test the efficacy of ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization?
- Geobacillus stearothermophilus
- Bacillus atrophaeus (Correct answer)
- Clostridium sporogenes
- Bacillus cereus
Correct answer: Bacillus atrophaeus
Bacillus atrophaeus spores are the standard biological indicator used to verify ethylene oxide sterilization cycles.
Question 2: What does the acronym 'TASS' stand for in the context of ophthalmic surgery complications?
- Total Anterior Surgical Syndrome
- Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome (Correct answer)
- Transient Aqueous Sterility Study
- Thermal Anterior Staining Sequence
Correct answer: Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome
TASS (Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome) is a noninfectious inflammatory reaction caused by contaminated or improperly processed ophthalmic instruments.
Question 3: Which type of water is recommended for the final rinse of surgical instruments before sterilization?
- Tap water
- Softened water
- Distilled or deionized water (Correct answer)
- Reverse osmosis water only
Correct answer: Distilled or deionized water
Distilled or deionized water is recommended for final rinsing to prevent mineral deposits and spotting on instruments.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a Bowie-Dick test?
- To verify sterilant concentration in EO cycles
- To test air removal and steam penetration in pre-vacuum sterilizers (Correct answer)
- To confirm biological indicator destruction
- To measure the pH of sterilizer chamber water
Correct answer: To test air removal and steam penetration in pre-vacuum sterilizers
The Bowie-Dick test verifies adequate air removal and steam penetration in dynamic air removal (pre-vacuum) steam sterilizers.
Question 5: How long must event-related shelf life packages remain sterile according to AAMI standards?
- 30 days from sterilization
- Until the item is used or the package integrity is compromised (Correct answer)
- 90 days maximum regardless of packaging
- Until the expiration date printed by the manufacturer
Correct answer: Until the item is used or the package integrity is compromised
Event-related shelf life means sterility is maintained indefinitely as long as packaging integrity is not compromised.
Question 6: Which process uses peracetic acid as its sterilant and is designed primarily for immersible instruments?
- Hydrogen peroxide gas plasma
- STERRAD system
- STERIS SYSTEM 1E (Correct answer)
- Dry heat oven
Correct answer: STERIS SYSTEM 1E
The STERIS SYSTEM 1E uses liquid peracetic acid and is designed to sterilize heat-sensitive, immersible instruments at low temperatures.
Question 7: When should a loaner instrument set be processed before use in a surgical case?
- Only if visibly soiled upon arrival
- Upon receipt, following standard decontamination and sterilization protocols (Correct answer)
- Flash sterilization is acceptable for all loaner sets
- Loaner sets arrive pre-sterile and require no processing
Correct answer: Upon receipt, following standard decontamination and sterilization protocols
All loaner instruments must be decontaminated, inspected, and sterilized upon receipt regardless of their condition or stated sterility.
IAHCSMM (MCQ) 2
Which biological indicator (BI) organism is used to test the efficacy of ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization?