Decontamination Questions and Answers Flashcards
6 cards from real CIS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Decontamination Questions and Answers flashcards as text
What is the purpose of ATP bioluminescence testing in cleaning verification?
Answer: To rapidly detect organic residue on cleaned surfaces indicating cleaning effectiveness
ATP testing rapidly detects adenosine triphosphate (found in all organic matter) on cleaned surfaces, providing results in seconds to indicate cleaning effectiveness.
Why is point-of-use pre-cleaning critical and when should it begin?
Answer: Pre-cleaning prevents blood from drying, which dramatically increases cleaning difficulty and biofilm risk
Pre-cleaning must begin immediately because blood dries within minutes and dried bioburden becomes exponentially harder to remove.
How does a washer-disinfector achieve thermal disinfection?
Answer: A validated time-temperature combination during the final hot water rinse achieving a specific A0 value
Thermal disinfection exposes instruments to validated hot water conditions during the final rinse, typically achieving an A0 value of at least 600.
What is the function of surfactants in instrument cleaning detergents?
Answer: To reduce water surface tension, allowing penetration into crevices and soil lifting
Surfactants reduce surface tension, enabling water to wet surfaces better, penetrate crevices, emulsify fats, and suspend dislodged soil to prevent redeposition.
Why should instruments not soak for extended periods in cleaning solutions?
Answer: Prolonged soaking causes corrosion and solutions lose effectiveness as bioburden accumulates
Extended soaking can cause corrosion, provide an environment for bacterial growth, and reduce solution effectiveness as it becomes saturated with debris.
What is the proper sequence for cleaning a multi-component instrument?
Answer: Disassemble per IFU, clean each component separately, inspect individually, then reassemble
Multi-component instruments must be disassembled per manufacturer IFU, each component cleaned and inspected individually, then reassembled after all pass inspection.