CMA Exam 1

• Digestion consists of the breakdown of large molecules into smaller molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream
• When you swallow, food travels from the mouth, through the esophagus, into the stomach, and through the small and large intestines.
• The process of digestion begins in the mouth, where enzymes in the saliva begin to break down food as you chew.
• Enzymes continue to break down partly digested food throughout the digestive tract.
• In the small intestines, during the process of absorption, nutrients are absorbed by the bloodstream and taken to the liver to be further broken down and filtered before being used by cells or stored in the body (aka: metabolism).
• There are two phases of metabolism: catabolism and anabolism.
• Catabolism, the destructive phase of metabolism, is the breakdown of complex molecules into simpler molecules.
• Anabolism, the constructive phase of metabolism, is the construction of larger molecules out of smaller ones.
• The speed of metabolism is different for each person.
• Carbohydrates are chemical substances broken down by the body into simple sugars or glucose.
• A BMI over 30 is considered obese.
• Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight or lean mass.
• BMI is calculated by dividing weight in lbs by height in inches and multiplying that number by 703.
• The infection cycle has 5 stages or points: reservoir, exit from reservoir, vehicle of transmission, portal of entry, and a susceptible host.
• Reservoir: place on which organisms grow and reproduce.
• Exit from Reservoir: how pathogens leave their original source
• Vehicle of transmission: how organisms are carried about (ex: hands, equipment, and silverware).
• Portal of entry: part of the body where organisms enter the next body (ex: mouth, nose, skin).
• Susceptible host: person whose body cannot fight off organisms once it enters the body.
• Microorganisms found in the body (normal flora or resident flora) are needed for good health.
• Disease-producing microorganisms are called pathogens. They are classified as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protozoa.
• When the number of normal flora become too high or travel to the wrong parts of the body they are called transient flora.
• Lower resistance allows the body to be overcome by pathogens and transient flora.
• Conditions that favor the growth of pathogens: moisture, surfaces contaminated with organic matter, a normal body temperature of 98.6F, darkness, neutral pH (7), and oxygen.
• Medical asepsis prevents the transfer of microorganisms from one patient to another.
• Medical asepsis does NOT free the area from all microorganisms.
• There are 3 levels of infection control: Sterilization, disinfection, and sanitization.
• Sterilization is the highest level of infection control and destroys all forms of microorganisms including spores.
• Sanitization is the maintenance of a healthful, disease-free, and hazard-free environment using soap and water with manual friction.
• Disinfection is a chemical procedure that inactivates almost all pathogenic microorganisms, but not necessarily all microbials including spores.
• 7 factors impact disinfection: prior cleaning, amount of organic material on the surface, type of microbial contamination, the concentration of the germicide or disinfectant used, the shape and complexity of the surface being cleaned, and the temperature of the process.
• Disinfection has 3 levels: high, intermediate, and low.
• High-level disinfection destroys most microbial forms except certain bacterial spores and is used to clean off items in contact with mucous membrane lined body areas.
• Methods of high-level disinfection include: immersion in boiled water for 30 mins or in an approved disinfecting chemical for 45 mins.
• Intermediate-level disinfection kills many viruses, fungi, and some bacteria including M. tuberculosis, but not spores.
• Intermediate disinfection is used for things that come into contact with unbroken skin surfaces (ex: BP cuffs and stethoscopes).
• Commercial chemical germicides that contain a 1:10 ratio of household bleach and water is sufficient for intermediate disinfection.
• Low-level disinfection destroys many bacteria and some viruses, but not M. tuberculosis and spores and is used for routine cleaning of office surfaces where there are no visible blood or bodily fluids.
• 70% isopropyl alcohol


  Used for non-critical items (ex: countertops, glass thermometers). It is flammable and can damage some rubber or plastic objects.
• Chlorine (sodium hypochlorite or bleach)

  Dilute 1 part bleach to 10 parts water and use for broad spectrum microbes. It is cheap and fast-acting but corrosive, inactivated by organic matter, and unstable.