Question

During the fall of 2012, a multi-state outbreak of meningitis occurred. The source of the infection was traced to contaminated methylprednisolone acetate, a steroid commonly used to treat back pain. Each of the infected people had received an injection of the steroid contaminated with the fungus Exserohilum rostratum. While the investigation is still pending, one current area of focus is the quality-assurance practices of the company responsible for manufacture of the drug. Quality assurance (QA) refers to the examination of the process of manufacturing a drug. QA practices are governed by both federal and local agencies, and they help to ensure that manufacturing practices for products such as drugs guarantee both efficacy and safety of the product. Quality control (QC) is an aspect of QA that focuses on the end-product of the process. During the production of a drug, one facet of a QC technician’s job is to evaluate microbiological safety during the production process. As you answer the following questions, imagine that you are working as a QC technician at a pharmaceutical company.During production of a drug, all work area surfaces must be disinfected using sterilized disinfectants. Which of the following statements about disinfectants are true?a. Disinfectants destroy all microbes present on a surface.b. Disinfection can occur by physical or chemical means.c. Disinfectants are used to inhibit or destroy pathogens.d. Endospores and viruses can resist disinfectant treatment.e. Disinfection can be used to treat work surfaces as well as workers (i.e., washing hands).

Answer 1

Answer:

The answers are b) Disinfection can occur by physical or chemical mean, c) Disinfectants are used to inhibit or destroy pathogens, d)Endospores and viruses can resist disinfectant treatment and e)Disinfection can be used to treat work surfaces as well as workers (i.e., washing hands)

Explanation:

Disinfection is the process that involves the elimination of microorganisms through the use of chemical or physical agents. Among the physicists are heat, radiation, drying, etc. Chemical disinfectants are oxidizing substances that are used in solution and can be combined with detergents or some organic substances.

However, endospores and some viruses are very resistant to both physical and chemical disinfection. In endospores, this resistance is due to the fact that the protective layer of the spore is impermeable to any oxidizing agent. In viruses, the cytoplasmic membrane is composed of two layers, a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic zone, this influences the resistance to disinfectants.