Decontamination and Cleaning Processes Flashcards

What is the critical first step when receiving contaminated instruments at the decontamination sink?

Answer: Sort instruments by type and pre-rinse to remove gross soil and prevent bioburden from drying

Sorting and pre-rinsing prevents soil from drying and becoming more difficult to remove, which is the foundation for effective subsequent cleaning.

Why should enzymatic detergents be freshly prepared for each use?

Answer: Enzymes lose activity over time once diluted, and used solutions become contaminated with bioburden

Enzymatic cleaners are most effective when freshly diluted; enzymes degrade over time in solution, and reusing contaminated solutions can spread rather than remove bioburden.

What is cavitation and how does it relate to ultrasonic cleaning?

Answer: It is the formation and implosion of microscopic bubbles in liquid that create intense cleaning action at the instrument surface

Ultrasonic cleaners use cavitation — the rapid formation and collapse of microscopic bubbles — to produce intense scrubbing action that reaches areas manual cleaning cannot.

What is the purpose of performing a washer-disinfector efficacy test?

Answer: To confirm that automated washers achieve validated cleaning and thermal disinfection parameters

Efficacy testing verifies that washer-disinfectors consistently achieve the time, temperature, and cleaning performance parameters validated by the manufacturer.

Why must instruments with lumens receive special attention during decontamination?

Answer: Lumens trap soil and bioburden internally where manual and automated cleaning may not reach without specific flushing protocols

The narrow internal channels of lumened instruments trap blood, tissue, and microorganisms that require specific flushing techniques and brushes to remove effectively.

What is the difference between cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization?

Answer: Cleaning removes soil and debris; disinfection kills most pathogens; sterilization eliminates all viable microorganisms including spores

These three processes represent increasing levels of microbial elimination: cleaning removes soil, disinfection kills vegetative organisms, and sterilization destroys all life forms including resistant bacterial spores.