Disinfection & SafetyQuestion 2 of 100
Which statement correctly distinguishes cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization?
a.Cleaning and disinfection mean the same thing and both kill bacterial spores
b.Disinfection destroys all microbial life, including spores
c.Sterilization is required for every implement used in a skin care establishment
d.Sterilization destroys all microbial life including spores, while disinfection kills most pathogens on non-porous surfaces
Explanation
Sterilization is the highest level and destroys all organisms including bacterial spores; disinfection kills most pathogens on hard, non-porous surfaces but not all spores; cleaning simply removes visible soil and reduces the number of organisms. Estheticians are required to clean and disinfect, not sterilize, because they do not penetrate living tissue. Cleaning and disinfecting are two distinct, sequential steps, not synonyms.
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- An esthetician has just finished using stainless steel tweezers on a client. What must happen before the tweezers are immersed in disinfectant?
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- An esthetician places metal implements in an EPA-registered disinfectant. How long should they remain in the solution?
- Which group of items must be discarded immediately after a single client because they cannot be disinfected?
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- What is the primary purpose of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) in a skin care establishment?
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