Infection Control · single question
When taking a radiograph on an HIV-positive patient, what infection control precaution is required for the digital sensor?
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Correct answer: B. Single-use plastic barrier on the sensor; clean the sensor with intermediate-level disinfectant after removing the barrier
- A. Standard PPE alone without a sensor barrier is insufficient — the sensor touches oral mucosa and requires the barrier + disinfection protocol.
- B. CORRECT. Standard-of-care infection control for digital sensors uses a single-use plastic barrier (sleeve) to protect the sensor during the radiograph. After patient use, the barrier is removed and discarded, and the sensor is wiped with an EPA-registered intermediate-level disinfectant. HIV status does NOT require additional barrier precautions beyond standard infection control — the same protocol applies to all patients per standard/universal precautions.
- C. Dedicated disposable sensors for HIV patients would violate the principle of universal precautions (treating all patients equally) and is unnecessary with proper standard precautions.
- D. Double barriers are occasionally mentioned but not the standard protocol; sterilizing digital sensors by heat is not possible due to their heat sensitivity.
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