Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP) Practice Exam

What is Ethylene oxide commonly used for in healthcare?

1. Disinfecting surfaces

2. Sterilizing medical equipment

3. Eliminating pests

4. Tempering metals

The correct answer is: Sterilizing medical equipment

Ethylene oxide is primarily known for its effectiveness in sterilizing medical equipment. Its ability to penetrate complex instruments and materials makes it particularly valuable in healthcare settings, especially for items that cannot withstand high temperatures or moisture, which would be used in traditional steam sterilization methods. Ethylene oxide works by disrupting the DNA and RNA of microorganisms, leading to their death, thus ensuring that medical instruments are free from any viable pathogens before use in patient care. The other options involve actions that, while relevant in various contexts, do not match the primary use of ethylene oxide in the healthcare industry. For instance, disinfecting surfaces is generally achieved with different agents or methods more suited to surface cleaning. Eliminating pests typically requires pesticides rather than a sterilization method. Lastly, tempering metals pertains to a process in metallurgy for improving strength and durability, which is not related to healthcare practices. The specificity of ethylene oxide's application as a medical sterilant underscores why it is the correct choice in this context.