NHA Infection Control and Safety 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of Standard Precautions in healthcare settings?
- To protect only immunocompromised patients
- To treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious regardless of patient diagnosis (Correct answer)
- To replace hand hygiene requirements in low-risk areas
- To apply only when patients have confirmed infections
Correct answer: To treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious regardless of patient diagnosis
Standard Precautions assume all blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions (except sweat) are potentially infectious, protecting both patients and healthcare workers regardless of known diagnosis.
Question 2: Which hand hygiene method is most effective against Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) spores?
- Alcohol-based hand rub
- Waterless antiseptic gel
- Soap and water handwashing (Correct answer)
- Antiseptic wipes with benzalkonium chloride
Correct answer: Soap and water handwashing
Soap and water physically removes C. diff spores from hands because alcohol-based products are ineffective against spore-forming organisms.
Question 3: According to CDC guidelines, how long should healthcare workers scrub hands with soap and water?
- 10 seconds
- 20 seconds (Correct answer)
- 30 seconds
- 45 seconds
Correct answer: 20 seconds
The CDC recommends scrubbing all surfaces of hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to effectively remove most pathogens.
Question 4: Which of the six links in the chain of infection is broken when a healthcare worker uses an N95 respirator?
- Reservoir
- Portal of exit
- Mode of transmission
- Portal of entry (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Portal of entry
An N95 respirator filters airborne particles before they enter the respiratory tract, blocking the portal of entry into the susceptible host.
Question 5: Which type of transmission-based precaution is required for a patient with active pulmonary tuberculosis?
- Contact precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Airborne precautions (Correct answer)
- Protective/reverse isolation
Correct answer: Airborne precautions
Tuberculosis is transmitted via small droplet nuclei that remain suspended in the air for long periods, requiring airborne precautions including an N95 respirator and a negative-pressure room.
Question 6: What is the correct order for donning (putting on) PPE before entering a contact isolation room?
- Gloves, gown, mask, eye protection
- Gown, mask/respirator, eye protection, gloves (Correct answer)
- Mask, gown, gloves, eye protection
- Eye protection, gloves, gown, mask
Correct answer: Gown, mask/respirator, eye protection, gloves
The CDC recommends donning PPE in the order: gown, mask or respirator, eye protection, then gloves last so gloves cover the gown cuffs and are the first item to contact the patient.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of an indirect contact transmission via a fomite?
- Inhaling droplet nuclei from a coughing patient
- Touching a contaminated blood pressure cuff and then touching your face (Correct answer)
- Receiving a needlestick from an infected patient
- Being bitten by a mosquito carrying West Nile virus
Correct answer: Touching a contaminated blood pressure cuff and then touching your face
A fomite is an inanimate object (such as a blood pressure cuff) that can carry and transfer infectious agents, making touching it and then one's face an example of indirect contact transmission.
NHA Infection Control and Safety 1
What is the primary purpose of Standard Precautions in healthcare settings?