Operative Dentistry - Infection Control

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic infection control terms, modes of disease transmission, chain of infection components, classification of patient-care items, and methods of sterilization and disinfection.

Infection Control

Policies and procedures used to prevent or reduce the potential for disease transmission.

Universal Precautions

Concept that all blood and body fluid that might be contaminated with blood should be treated as infectious because patients with bloodborne infections can be asymptomatic or unaware they are infected.

Standard Precautions

Integrated measures that expand universal precautions to apply to contact with blood, all body fluids, secretions, and excretions (except sweat) regardless of whether they contain blood, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes.

Direct Transmission

Transfer of pathogens by coming into direct contact with an infectious lesion or infected body fluids, including blood and saliva.

Indirect Transmission

Indirect transfer of organisms to a susceptible person occurring by handling contaminated instruments or touching contaminated surfaces.

Digital Contamination of Surfaces

Transfer occurring when hands soiled with saliva repeatedly contact operatory equipment and surfaces and return to the patient's mouth during treatment.

Splash / Spatter

Transmission of disease during dental procedures by splashing or spattering of blood, saliva, or nasopharyngeal secretions directly onto broken or intact skin.

Airborne Transmission

Spread of disease through droplets of moisture containing bacteria or viruses or airborne droplet nuclei that are inhaled by a susceptible host; also known as droplet infection or aerosolization.

Aerosols

Invisible particles ranging from $50\text{ }\text{um}$ to approximately $5\text{ }\text{um}$ that remain suspended in the air and can be breathed for hours.

Mists

Droplets estimated to approach or exceed $50\text{ }\text{um}$.

Spatter

Particles larger than $50\text{ }\text{um}$ that appear as visible splashes.

Parenteral Transmission

Disease transmission through the skin, such as with cuts, punctures, needle stick injuries, human bites, abrasions, or any break in the skin.

Bloodborne Transmission

Transmission of pathogens occurring through direct or indirect contact with blood and other fluids.

Infectious Diseases

Diseases which can be transmitted to others by direct exposure to the causative organism or secondarily by contact with infected objects or surfaces.

Infectious Agent

The first component in the chain of infection, consisting of pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and rickettsia.

Reservoir

The location of an infectious agent, which can be an individual, equipment, food, water, animals, or insects.

Portal of Exit

The doorway for an infectious agent to leave the reservoir, including body fluids, excretions, secretions, skin cells, respiratory droplets, blood, and saliva.

Means of Transmission

The mechanism by which an infectious agent moves, including direct contact, airborne transmission, blood transmission, ingestion, and indirect contact.

Portal of Entry

The pathway allowing an infectious agent to enter and potentially infect a susceptible host, such as broken skin, mucous membranes, and body systems exposed to the external environment.

Susceptible Host

An individual who is able to contact and become infected by a pathogenic microorganism.

Sterilization

The destruction of all life forms, including spores.

Disinfectant

A chemical used to kill pathogenic microorganisms on an inanimate object, such as a table top.

Antiseptic

A chemical used to kill pathogenic microorganisms on a living organism, such as the surface of the human body.

Aseptic

Free of microorganisms; synonymous with sterile or the absence of life.

Sanitize

To reduce microbial populations to a safe level as determined by public health standards.

Cross-Infection

An infection passed from one person to another.

Decontamination

Process to make an object as clean as possible, but not disinfected or sterile.

Disinfection

Destruction of most microorganisms, but not necessarily all, especially not highly resistant spore forms.

Immunocompromised

A reduction in a person's natural immunity due to disease processes.

Immunosuppressed

A reduction in a person's natural immunity due to medication.

Infection

The presence of pathogens in the body following invasion by contaminated material.

Septic

Contaminated or infected.

Iatrogenic

A condition induced inadvertently by healthcare personnel (HCP), medical treatment, or diagnostic procedures.

Cross Contamination

Passage of microorganisms from one person or inanimate object to another.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Wearable equipment designed to protect DHCP from exposure to or contact with infectious agents.

Critical Items

Patient-care items used to penetrate soft tissue or bone, posing the greatest risk of infection transmission, which must always be sterilized using heat.

Semi-Critical Items

Patient-care items that come in contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin, having a lower risk of transmission than critical items.

Noncritical Items

Patient-care items that only contact intact skin, posing the least risk of transmission of infection.

Precleaning

The process of cleaning before disinfecting to reduce the number of microorganisms present by physically removing debris.

High-Level Disinfectants

EPA-classified disinfectants with a relatively short contact time that act as a sterilant when used with prolonged contact time; used for semicritical items that cannot tolerate heat sterilization.

Intermediate-Level Disinfectants

EPA-classified hospital disinfectants with tuberculocidal activity used on noncritical items contaminated with blood or saliva.

Low-Level Disinfectants

EPA-classified nontuberculocidal disinfectants used on surfaces not contaminated with blood.

Iodophors

EPA-registered intermediate-level hospital disinfectants with tuberculocidal actions that are effective within 5 to 10 minutes but may corrode or discolor metals.

Synthetic Phenol Compounds

Intermediate-level hospital disinfectants with broad-spectrum activity used on metals, glass, rubber, or plastic that leave a residual film on treated surfaces.

Sodium Hypochlorite

Commonly known as household bleach; a fast-acting, economic, and broad-spectrum intermediate-level disinfectant that is corrosive to metals and unstable.

Chlorine Dioxide

An effective, rapid-acting environmental surface disinfectant or chemical sterilant that must be prepared fresh daily, used with good ventilation, and is corrosive to aluminum.

Steam Pressure Sterilization (Autoclave)

Sterilization method involving heating water to generate steam, producing moist heat that rapidly kills microorganisms.

Chemical Vapor Pressure Sterilization (Chemiclave)

Sterilization method similar to autoclaving that uses a combination of chemicals instead of water to create a vapor, preventing rust or corrosion on dry metal instruments.

Dry Heat Sterilization (Dryclave)

Sterilization method operating by heating up air and transferring heat to instruments, requiring higher temperatures than steam or chemical vapor sterilization.