Certified Hemodialysis Technologist/Technician Exam Infection Control and Patient Safety in Dialysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The acceptable alcohol concentration in hand sanitizers effective for healthcare use against most viruses and bacteria is:
- 20-30% ethanol
- 60-95% ethanol or isopropanol (Correct answer)
- 10% isopropanol
- 50% ethanol maximum
Correct answer: 60-95% ethanol or isopropanol
Hand sanitizers must contain 60-95% alcohol to denature microbial proteins effectively; lower concentrations lack sufficient antimicrobial activity.
Question 2: Patient safety reporting systems in dialysis facilities are most effective when they use:
- Mandatory punitive reporting only
- Non-punitive, anonymous reporting to encourage near-miss and error disclosure (Correct answer)
- Physician-only reporting channels
- External regulatory reporting only
Correct answer: Non-punitive, anonymous reporting to encourage near-miss and error disclosure
Non-punitive reporting cultures encourage staff to report near-misses and errors without fear of punishment, enabling learning and systemic safety improvements.
Question 3: Which practice is PROHIBITED in dialysis treatment areas to prevent cross-contamination between patients?
- Using dedicated carts for medication administration
- Bringing medication carts, trays, or supplies used for one patient to another patient's station without disinfection (Correct answer)
- Wearing gloves for needle removal
- Using individual patient supply packs
Correct answer: Bringing medication carts, trays, or supplies used for one patient to another patient's station without disinfection
Medication carts and supplies moved between patient stations without disinfection risk transferring bloodborne pathogens via contaminated surfaces.
Question 4: Which organization publishes the Conditions for Coverage (CfC) that dialysis facilities must meet to receive Medicare reimbursement?
- CDC
- AAMI
- CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) (Correct answer)
- The Joint Commission
Correct answer: CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
CMS publishes and enforces the ESRD Conditions for Coverage, which establish the minimum standards dialysis facilities must meet for Medicare certification.
Question 5: Two-patient identification checks before initiating hemodialysis include verifying:
- Room number and machine number only
- Patient name and date of birth (or second identifier) against the treatment order (Correct answer)
- Patient height and weight only
- Dialyzer brand and needle gauge only
Correct answer: Patient name and date of birth (or second identifier) against the treatment order
Two-patient identifiers (name plus DOB or MRN) verified against the treatment order prevent wrong-patient dialysis, a serious preventable safety event.
Question 6: The purpose of performing a machine safety check before each hemodialysis treatment includes verifying:
- Only the blood flow rate setting
- Conductivity, temperature, pH (bicarbonate balance), blood leak detector function, and air detector function (Correct answer)
- Only the ultrafiltration goal
- Machine serial number and purchase date
Correct answer: Conductivity, temperature, pH (bicarbonate balance), blood leak detector function, and air detector function
Pre-treatment machine safety checks verify that dialysate parameters and safety alarms are properly set and functional before connecting the patient to the extracorporeal circuit.
Certified Hemodialysis Technologist/Technician Exam Infection Control and Patient Safety in Dialysis 3
The acceptable alcohol concentration in hand sanitizers effective for healthcare use against most viruses and bacteria is: