Question

The use of a preprocedural mouth rinse can lower the number of microorganisms that may escape a patient's mouth through all of the following routes except _______.

a) Aerosols
b) Spatter
c) Direct contact
d) Indirect Contact

Answer 1

The use of a preprocedural mouth rinse does not lower the number of microorganisms that may escape a patient's mouth through indirect contact.

Step-by-step explanation:

The use of a preprocedural mouth rinse can lower the number of microorganisms that may escape a patient's mouth through aerosols, spatter, and direct contact, but not through indirect contact. Indirect contact refers to the transfer of an infectious agent between hosts through contact with a fomite, which is an object like a doorknob or a surgical instrument that can carry infection. Therefore, the answer is d) Indirect Contact. To minimize the risk of infection via indirect contact, standard infection control practices include the disinfection and sterilization of fomites, along with hand hygiene.