Page 13 - Compendium Chapters for Course 1 (IC, DPA, OSHA)

PRINCIPLES OF INFECTION CONTROL
Infection control is based upon the principle that transmission of infectious disease will be prevented when any of the steps in the chain are broken or interrupted. The six steps in the chain of infection control are:
1. Infectious agent a. Cleaning
b. Disinfection
c. Sterilization
2. Reservoir of Source
a. Hygiene
b. Dressing changes
c. Disposal of fluid containers
d. Change soiled linen
3. Portal of Exit from Reservoir or Source
a. Clean dressing over wounds
b. Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
4. Mode of Transmission
a. Handwashing
b. Proper disposal of contaminated objects
c. Wear PPE
5. Portal of Entry to Host
a. Proper disposal of needles or sharps
b. Sterile technique
6. Susceptible Host
a. Skin integrity
b. Balanced nutrition
c. Exercise
d. Intact immune system
Bacteria, viruses, and some fungi cause infectious diseases. Sterilization is the process that destroys all biologic material capable of reproduction. In other words, an item that has no living bacteria, viruses, yeast, or other biologically active material in or on its surfaces is sterile. Sterilization kills all forms of microbial life.
In contrast, disinfection means the reduction or elimination of disease-causing microorganisms from surfaces and does not kill. A disinfectant will kill some pathogens, many viruses and bacteria but many living microbes could remain.
Intro Page - 13
Introductory Chapter: Dental Practice Act, Infection Control and Cal-OSHA
The California RDAEF: A Compendium for Licensure Success © The Foundation for Allied Dental Education, Inc. 2016 Copyright protected. All rights reserved