Free Sterilization & Disinfection Practice Questions

1. The three parameters required for effective steam sterilization are:

• Time, temperature, and moisture (steam)
• Time, pressure, and chemical concentration
• Temperature, humidity, and light exposure
• Pressure, gas concentration, and aeration

2. Glutaraldehyde (Cidex) is classified as a high-level disinfectant when used for the appropriate contact time. Its primary limitation in surgical settings is:

• It cannot kill bacterial spores under any conditions
• It is toxic, requires adequate ventilation, and items must be thoroughly rinsed before patient contact because residual glutaraldehyde causes tissue irritation
• It is effective only against gram-positive bacteria
• It requires autoclave temperatures to be activated

3. During decontamination of surgical instruments, the instruments should be processed in which order?

• Rinse, sterilize, then manually clean
• Pre-rinse to remove gross soil, manually clean or use an ultrasonic washer, then rinse and inspect before sterilization
• Place directly into the autoclave without any pre-cleaning
• Soak in glutaraldehyde for 10 minutes, then rinse and package for sterilization

4. A wrapped sterile instrument tray is stored on an open shelf. The event-related sterility concept means the tray remains sterile until:

• The manufacturer's printed expiration date on the wrapper is reached
• An event occurs that compromises package integrity (such as a tear, moisture contamination, or opening), regardless of time elapsed
• Exactly 30 days after sterilization for all wrapped items
• The item is moved from its original storage location

5. The prevacuum (dynamic air removal) steam autoclave achieves sterilization of wrapped instruments at 270°F (132°C) in a minimum exposure time of:

• 30 minutes
• 15 minutes
• 4 minutes
• 1 minute