Module 5

Question 1

A system that divides medical equipment into three risk-based categories: critical, semicritical, and noncritical.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 1

Spaulding Classification

Question 2

Equipment that must be free from all microbial contamination when it enters sterile tissue, bone, or the vascular system; a Spaulding Classification category.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 2

Critical equipment

Question 3

Equipment that should be free from all microorganisms (although small numbers of bacterial spores may be present) when it comes in contact with mucous membranes or non-intact skin during use; a Spaulding Classification category.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 3

Semicritical equipment

Question 4

Equipment that does not need to be sterile, but it should only come into contact with intact skin; a Spaulding Classification category.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 4

Noncritical equipment

Question 5

The removal of foreign material (e.g., soil, organic material) from objects; required before disinfection and sterilization can occur since foreign material interferes with the effectiveness of these processes.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 5

Cleaning

Question 6

The use of friction produced by rubbing or scrubbing surfaces to clean equipment.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 6

Manual cleaning

Question 7

The use of a machine to remove debris and soil from equipment.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 7

Mechanical cleaning

Question 8

A type of mechanical cleaner that operates much like a dishwasher, using water and detergents to remove soil from equipment.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 8

Washer-disinfectors

Question 9

A type of mechanical cleaner that operates in a similar fashion to washer-disinfectors, applying water circulation and detergents to remove soil. These units can also apply a timed heat process (for example, 93°C [199°F], for ten minutes).

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 9

Washer-decontaminators

Question 10

A type of mechanical cleaner that operates using rotating spray arms for a wash cycle, followed by a steam sterilization cycle (140°C [285°F]).

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 10

Washer-sterilizers

Question 11

A type of mechanical cleaner that operates by sending ultrasonic waves through a liquid solution to disrupt bonds that hold soils to surfaces.

Answer 11

Ultrasonic cleaners

Question 12

A type of mechanical cleaner that operates by exposing instruments, devices, and items to direct steam, under pressure, at specific temperatures (between 121°C [250°F] and 132°C [270°F]).

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 12

Autoclaves

Question 13

Thermal or chemical destruction of pathogenic and other types of microorganisms.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 13

Disinfection

Question 14

The stated amount of time a disinfectant needs in order to be effective against microorganisms; also known as “wet time” or “dwell time.”

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 14

Contact time

Question 15

The process by which all forms of microbial life are destroyed or eliminated.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 15

Sterilization

Question 16

The shortest possible time between a sterilized item’s removal from the sterilizer and its aseptic transfer to the sterile field.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 16

Immediate-use steam sterilization (IUSS)

Question 17

The department or area in a healthcare facility that processes and controls sterile and nonsterile medical equipment, supplies, and devices used in patient care.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 17

Sterile processing

Question 18

The visible monitors on equipment that indicate whether the correct sterilizing parameters were met.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 18

Physical monitors

Question 19

Devices used to detect potential sterilization process failures that could result from incorrect packaging, incorrect loading of the sterilizer, or malfunctions of the sterilizer.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 19

Chemical indicators (CIs)

Question 20

Test systems containing viable microorganisms providing a defined resistance to a specific sterilization process; provide information on whether necessary conditions were met to kill a specified number of microorganisms for a given sterilization process.
(ANSI/AAMI, ISO)

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 20

Biological indicators (BIs)

Question 21

A device with a defined resistance to a sterilization process used to routinely monitor sterilizer efficacy and perform qualification testing of sterilizers.

Section A: Cleaning, Disinfection, and Sterilization of Medical Devices/Equipment

Answer 21

Process challenge device (PCD)

Question 22

Surfaces and items that are found within the patient zone, which includes the patient or resident and their immediate surroundings. In LTC settings, this would refer specifically to the residents’ rooms, but may also refer to certain common areas.

Section C: Environment of Care

Answer 22

High-touch surfaces

Question 23

A temperature-controlled supply chain that includes all vaccine-related equipment and procedures.

Section C: Environment of Care

Answer 23

Cold chain

Question 24

Composed of everything included in the overall airhandling system for any facility. These systems supply, filter, condition (meaning heat, cool, humidify, or dehumidify), and exhaust air using a wide range of designs and equipment.

Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 24

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system

Question 25

The number of times the air volume of a given space is replaced in one hour. ## Footnote Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 25

**Air changes per hour (ACH)**

Question 26

Describes the pressure relationships with respect to the surrounding area or corridor and can be positive (excess air supply in the room), negative (air drawn into the room), or neutral. ## Footnote Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 26

**Air pressure balancing**

Question 27

Used to keep microbial contamination out of rooms, and for immunosuppressed residents, such as those undergoing bone marrow transplantation. ## Footnote Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 27

**Positive air pressure**

Question 28

Used as an isolation measure to keep microbes from escaping from rooms, and for residents with infectious airborne diseases, such as tuberculosis, measles, and varicella. ## Footnote Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 28

**Negative air pressure**

Question 29

Refers to situations where the air pressure is the same between two adjacent rooms. ## Footnote Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 29

**Neutral air pressure**

Question 30

Defined as filtration with efficiency of 99.97% in removing particles 0.3 micron or more in size. ## Footnote Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 30

**High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration**

Question 31

Waste water containing sewage contaminants. ## Footnote Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 31

**Black water**

Question 32

Purified water that has had charged ions removed; it is used for various applications within healthcare, including the laboratory. ## Footnote Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 32

**Deionized water**

Question 33

Water (as from a sink or bath) that does not contain serious contaminants (as from toilets or diapers). ## Footnote Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 33

**Gray water**

Question 34

Water suitable for drinking. ## Footnote Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 34

**Potable water**

Question 35

Water that has been forced through a special membrane, under pressure, producing highly purified water, which typically requires remineralizing with essential trace elements before use; it is used for various applications within healthcare, including in dialysis. ## Footnote Section D: Ventilation and Water Management

Answer 35

**Reverse osmosis water**

Question 36

A liquid or semi-liquid blood or other potentially infectious materials; contaminated items that would release blood or other potentially infectious materials in a liquid or semi-liquid state if compressed; items that are caked with dried blood or other potentially infectious materials and are capable of releasing these materials during handling; contaminated sharps; and pathological and microbiological wastes containing blood or other potentially infectious materials. (OSHA) ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 36

**Regulated waste**

Question 37

Fiber-based substrates to which antimicrobial agents have been applied, either at the surface or incorporated into the fibers, rendering a product that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 37

**Antimicrobial fabric**

Question 38

An area where, after extraction, textiles are either conditioned (partly dried) or fully dried in a dryer or tumbler. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 38

**Condition/drying area**

Question 39

According to OSHA, laundry that has been soiled with blood or other potentially infectious material (OPIM), or may contain sharps. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 39

**Contaminated laundry**

Question 40

The use of physical or chemical means to remove, inactivate, or destroy bloodborne pathogens on a surface; or the use of disinfectants to render the item incapable of transmitting infectious particles, so that the item is made safe for handling, use, or disposal. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 40

**Decontamination**

Question 41

An area where excess water is removed from textiles after laundering, but before conditioning or drying. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 41

**Extraction area**

Question 42

An area where textiles are folded. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 42

**Folding area**

Question 43

Non-textile objects or items (e.g., instruments, disposable devices, sharps, personal resident information, etc.) that may potentially harm people or laundry equipment if left among the textiles. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 43

**Foreign object**

Question 44

An activity or structure that separates one movement, action, or space from another. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 44

**Functional separation/barrier**

Question 45

A clean state, free of pathogens (or in sufficiently low numbers) so as to minimize risk of infection. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 45

**Hygienically clean**

Question 46

Items that have been laundered, cleaned, disinfected, or sterilized (as appropriate), so that they are safe to use as intended. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 46

**Processed**

Question 47

An area where soiled textiles are sorted, usually by textile category and sometimes by degree of soiling or color. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 47

**Receiving area**

Question 48

A process for preparing the textiles for delivery and having them wrapped and ready for transport. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 48

**Staging**

Question 49

The following human body fluids: semen; vaginal secretions; cerebrospinal, synovial, pleural, pericardial, peritoneal, or amniotic fluids; saliva in dental procedures; bodily fluids that are visibly contaminated with blood, and all bodily fluids in situations where it is difficult or impossible to differentiate between them; and any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead). Also included are HIV-containing cell, tissue, or organ cultures, as well as HIV- or HBV-containing culture mediums or other solutions; and blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 49

**Other potentially infectious material (OPIM)**

Question 50

A textile product that has been used or worn and soiled by perspiration, bodily oils, or one of the many other items to which it may have been exposed. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 50

**Soiled**

Question 51

An area where soiled textiles are washed and in which such equipment as washers, extractors, washerextractors, continuous-batch washers and/or continuous processing systems are located; also known as the wash floor. ## Footnote Section E: Waste and Laundry Management

Answer 51

**Washing (processing) area**

Question 52

A process to assess the impact that construction and renovation work in healthcare facilities has on IPC programs and practices and to ensure that new construction is designed to meet the needs of the anticipated resident population. ## Footnote Section F: Construction and Maintenance

Answer 52

**Infection control risk assessment (ICRA)**

Question 53

These written plans describe work process and equipment requirements to manage potential infection risks from proposed risk. ## Footnote Section F: Construction and Maintenance

Answer 53

**infection control risk mitigation recommendation (ICRMR)**

Question 54

A process that verifies delivery of new construction according to contract specifications. ## Footnote Section F: Construction and Maintenance

Answer 54

**Commissioning**