Air flow in a microbiology laboratory should be:
from lower to higher risk areas
minimized as much as possible
optimized to prevent the settling of dangerous aerosols
well-filtered by recirculating it through numerous filters before recycling
Procedures such as grinding, mincing, vortexing, and preparing smears:
are hazardous and should be performed while wearing gloves and gown protection.
create aerosol droplets and should be performed only in an approved biosafety cabinet.
should be avoided with specimens known to contain infectious agents
produce a spill hazard and should be performed over an absorptive mat.
Class I biological safety cabinets:
sterilize the air as it passes over the material in the cabinet
protect the environment from contamination by biological agents by filtering the air as it is exhausted from the cabinet.
are completely enclosed and have gloves that enable the worker to manipulate the material in the cabinet.
are often called laminar flow hoods.
Optimal protection of specimen, personnel, and environment is accomplished with which class of biological safety cabinet?
Class I
Class II
Class III
Class IV
The method of choice for sterilizing items such as antibiotic solutions, chemicals, radioisotopes, and vaccines that are heat-sensitive is:
dry, low temperature heat.
moist, low temperature heat.
filtration
chemical
To be sterilized in an autoclave, infectious medical waste should be:
packed tightly to avoid dangerous pressure pockets.
processed for 15 to 20 minutes at 121 C and 30 pounds per square inch (psi) pressure.
processed for 30 to 60 minutes at 132C and 15 psi pressure
processed for at least 1 hour at 121 C and 15 psi pressure.
The autoclave sterilizes material by:
applying dry heat at high temperatures and pressure.
infusing gaseous chemicals that kill organisms.
applying moist heat at high temperatures and increased pressure.
cleaving protein bonds found in most biological agent cell walls.
