Safety First
These wearable barriers are selected for anticipated splash, biological, and chemical hazards.
What is personal protective equipment (PPE)?
This term describes the amount of moisture in the air.
What is humidity (or relative humidity)?
This membrane treatment reduces contaminants in water.
What is reverse osmosis (RO)?
This process removes organic and inorganic material from a device.
What is cleaning?
The force of cleaning spray striking an instrument surface has this name.
What is impingement?
These practices apply to patient care regardless of whether an infection is known.
What are Standard Precautions?
This water category meets requirements for its designated routine washing or rinsing application.
What is utility water?
This treatment removes dissolved ions through ion exchange.
What is deionization (DI)?
A technician uses hand friction and flushing to remove soil. Name the method.
What is manual cleaning?
Tiny bubbles form and collapse in an ultrasonic bath, helping loosen soil. Name the action.
What is cavitation?
This waste category requires approved handling because it presents an infectious biological hazard.
What is biohazardous waste?
This treated water category must meet specified quality requirements for its intended processing application.
What is critical water?
This treatment heats water into vapor and then condenses it.
What is distillation?
Specialized equipment performs cleaning instead of relying only on hand cleaning. Name the method.
What is mechanical cleaning?
Excess dissolved gas is removed from ultrasonic cleaning solution through this process.
What is degassing?
Air moves into a room because its pressure is lower than adjacent spaces. Name this pressure relationship.
What is negative pressure?
This approved, filtered air is used for specified device-processing tasks such as drying when permitted by the IFU.
What is instrument air?
A technician needs the exact cleaning directions for a specific device. Name the authoritative manufacturer document.
What are the instructions for use (IFU)?
This equipment uses sound energy and cavitation to assist soil removal.
What is an ultrasonic cleaner?
A validated heat process reduces microorganisms but does not establish sterility. Name it.
What is thermal disinfection?
This dedicated area receives and processes soiled devices while remaining separated from clean activities.
What is the decontamination area?
A sink says RO. Does that label alone prove the water meets critical-water requirements? Explain.
What is no? RO identifies a treatment method; water quality must be verified for its intended use at the point of use.
A metal coating is deposited using an electrical process. Name the process.
What is electroplating?
This equipment uses spray action, cleaning chemistry, and validated stages to clean and disinfect compatible items.
What is a washer-disinfector?
A student says an ultrasonic cycle makes an instrument sterile. Identify the error and the next processing principle.
What is confusing cleaning with sterilization? Cavitation assists soil removal; the item still needs the required subsequent disinfection or sterilization based on use and its IFU.