AOTA Infection Control & Prevention 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which transmission-based precaution category applies to a client diagnosed with chickenpox (varicella) attending sensory integration therapy?
- Contact precautions only
- Droplet precautions only
- Airborne and contact precautions (Correct answer)
- Standard precautions only
Correct answer: Airborne and contact precautions
Varicella requires both airborne precautions (due to aerosolized virus) and contact precautions (due to infectious skin lesions).
Question 2: When cleaning a therapy ball that is shared among multiple pediatric clients, which cleaning sequence is correct?
- Disinfect first, then clean with detergent
- Clean with detergent first, then disinfect (Correct answer)
- Wipe with alcohol wipe only — no additional steps needed
- Rinse with water only between clients
Correct answer: Clean with detergent first, then disinfect
Organic matter must be removed with detergent before disinfection because soiling can inactivate many disinfectants.
Question 3: A sensory integration therapist works in a school setting. A student with a draining wound attends therapy. Under Standard Precautions, what is required?
- Full PPE including gown, gloves, mask, and eye protection
- Gloves when there is risk of contact with drainage (Correct answer)
- N95 mask only since wounds can aerosolize pathogens
- No additional precautions beyond normal practice
Correct answer: Gloves when there is risk of contact with drainage
Standard Precautions require gloves when there is anticipated contact with blood, body fluids, or wound drainage.
Question 4: Which hepatitis virus is most commonly transmitted through contaminated surfaces or fomites in a pediatric therapy environment?
- Hepatitis A (Correct answer)
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis D
Correct answer: Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a fecal-oral pathogen that survives on surfaces for weeks, making it the primary surface-transmission risk in pediatric settings.
Question 5: An OT student is about to assist with a sensory feeding group and has a small uncovered cut on their finger. What is the correct action?
- Apply gloves and proceed with the group activity (Correct answer)
- Cover the cut with a bandage only, no gloves needed
- Withdraw from the activity until fully healed
- Apply gloves only if the cut is actively bleeding
Correct answer: Apply gloves and proceed with the group activity
Non-intact skin is an exposure risk; covering with a glove provides a barrier that protects both the therapist and the client.
Question 6: Regarding the laundering of weighted vests used in sensory integration therapy, which practice best prevents cross-contamination?
- Launder only when visibly soiled
- Assign one vest per client and launder between uses (Correct answer)
- Wash all vests together weekly in cold water
- Spray with disinfectant between client uses instead of laundering
Correct answer: Assign one vest per client and launder between uses
Assigning individual vests and laundering between uses prevents pathogen transfer and is the infection-control standard for fabric therapy items.
Question 7: Which action by a therapist best demonstrates the principle of 'source control' in a post-pandemic sensory integration clinic?
- Requiring clients to wear masks when symptomatic (Correct answer)
- Increasing the frequency of surface disinfection after each session
- Installing UV-C lights in the therapy gym
- Using only single-use therapy materials
Correct answer: Requiring clients to wear masks when symptomatic
Source control targets the infectious source (the person) by reducing pathogen release into the environment, most commonly through masking when symptomatic.
AOTA Infection Control & Prevention 3
Which transmission-based precaution category applies to a client diagnosed with chickenpox (varicella) attending sensory integration therapy?