MDRAO Infection Prevention and Control 2

Question 1

What is the Spaulding Classification system, and how does it determine the level of disinfection or sterilization required for medical devices?

Accepted Answer

A three-tier classification (critical, semi-critical, non-critical) that categorizes medical devices by their risk of infection transmission based on intended use

Answer

The Spaulding Classification categorizes medical devices into critical, semi-critical, and non-critical based on their intended use and associated infection risk, determining whether sterilization or different levels of disinfection are required.

Question 2

What is the distinction between sterilization and high-level disinfection (HLD)?

Accepted Answer

Sterilization kills ALL microorganisms including bacterial spores; HLD kills most microorganisms but may not eliminate all bacterial spores

Answer

Sterilization achieves complete elimination of all viable microorganisms including bacterial spores. High-level disinfection kills most microorganisms including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and viruses, but may not eliminate all bacterial spores.

Question 3

What does 'standard precautions' mean in the context of the CSSD decontamination area?

Accepted Answer

A minimum set of infection prevention practices (including hand hygiene, PPE, safe sharps handling) applied to ALL patients regardless of infection status

Answer

Standard precautions are the minimum level of infection prevention applied to all patients/all instruments regardless of known or suspected infection status — based on the assumption that all blood, body fluids, and instruments are potentially infectious.

Question 4

What is the role of hand hygiene in preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the sterile processing department?

Accepted Answer

Hand hygiene is the single most effective measure to prevent cross-contamination and the spread of HAIs in all healthcare settings including CSSD

Answer

Hand hygiene remains the most effective measure to prevent HAIs and must be practiced at all the 4 Moments in all healthcare areas including CSSD — including after removing gloves, as gloves may have microscopic defects.

Question 5

Which of the following transmission-based precautions requires the use of an N95 respirator by healthcare workers?

Accepted Answer

Airborne precautions for active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB)

Answer

Airborne precautions — required for diseases transmitted by airborne nuclei such as active pulmonary TB, measles, and varicella — mandate N95 or higher respirators rather than standard surgical masks.

MDRAO - Medical Device Reprocessing Association of Ontario Practice Test

MDRAO - Medical Device Reprocessing Association of Ontario Practice Test

MDRAO Infection Prevention and Control 2