infection control a process that involves the rigorous management of the clinical environment for the specific purpose of minimizing the potential spread of disease universal precautions the success of an effective infection control program depends on the assumption by healthcare workers that every person is a potential carrier of an infectious disease cleaning removal of gross contamination without necessarily involving the process of killing germs critical instruments reusable instruments or objects that are either: 1) Introduced to the bloodstream 2) non-invasive instruments that come in contact with intact mucous membranes or bodily substances (cerumen, blood, saliva) 3) non-invasive instruments that can nick skin surfaces disposable items designed for one time use disinfecting process whereby germs are killed hand hygiene procedure referring to both washing hands with plain or antimicrobial soap and water AND the use of an alcohol-based no-rinse hand sanitizers standard precautions a set of infection control practices designed to prevent the transmission of disease sterilization process whereby 100% if germs (including endospores) are killed otoscopy will reveal if there are any conditions that require medical referral scala media cochlear duct organ of corti sensory organ for hearing outer hair cell damage mild to moderate HL inner hair cel damage severe to profound with no way to repair vagus nerve lies along the bottom of the canal between the aperture and isthmus tympanic membrane the dividing line between the outer and middle ear umbo the point where the tip of the malleus meets the TM