ASPT Safety and Infection Control 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When removing PPE after caring for a patient on contact precautions, which item should be removed FIRST?
- Mask
- Gloves (Correct answer)
- Gown
- Eye protection
Correct answer: Gloves
Gloves are the most contaminated PPE item and should be removed first to prevent spreading contamination to other surfaces during doffing.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes a 'fomite' in the context of infection transmission?
- An airborne microorganism
- An inanimate object that carries and transfers infectious agents (Correct answer)
- A vector insect such as a mosquito
- A human carrier without symptoms
Correct answer: An inanimate object that carries and transfers infectious agents
A fomite is any inanimate object (e.g., a blood pressure cuff, doorknob, or tourniquet) that can harbor and transfer pathogenic microorganisms.
Question 3: The purpose of an exposure control plan in a phlebotomy setting is to:
- Document all patients treated each day
- Outline steps to eliminate or minimize employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens (Correct answer)
- Schedule routine cleaning of the laboratory
- Define billing procedures for phlebotomy services
Correct answer: Outline steps to eliminate or minimize employee exposure to bloodborne pathogens
An exposure control plan, required by OSHA, documents how a facility will protect employees from bloodborne pathogen exposure through engineering controls, work practices, and PPE.
Question 4: A phlebotomist is assigned to collect blood from a patient in a negative-pressure isolation room. Which organism is most likely the reason for this isolation type?
- MRSA
- Norovirus
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Correct answer)
- Clostridium difficile
Correct answer: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Negative-pressure rooms are used for airborne precautions, which are required for Mycobacterium tuberculosis because the organism spreads via small aerosolized droplet nuclei.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of an engineering control used to reduce needlestick injuries?
- Recapping needles with two hands
- Using safety-engineered needles with retractable sheaths (Correct answer)
- Wearing double gloves during every draw
- Disposing of needles in a general waste bin
Correct answer: Using safety-engineered needles with retractable sheaths
Safety-engineered devices such as retractable needles or needles with automatic shielding mechanisms are engineering controls that physically reduce needlestick risk.
Question 6: Sterilization differs from disinfection in that sterilization:
- Removes only visible dirt and organic material
- Destroys all microorganisms including spores (Correct answer)
- Kills most pathogens but not resistant spores
- Is only used on non-critical patient-care items
Correct answer: Destroys all microorganisms including spores
Sterilization destroys all microbial life including highly resistant bacterial endospores, whereas disinfection reduces microbial counts but may not eliminate spores.
Question 7: A phlebotomist notices a coworker recapping a used needle with two hands. The BEST immediate response is to:
- Ignore it to avoid conflict with the coworker
- Recap the needle for the coworker to help
- Remind the coworker of the one-hand scoop technique or safety device (Correct answer)
- File a disciplinary report without speaking to the coworker first
Correct answer: Remind the coworker of the one-hand scoop technique or safety device
Two-hand recapping is prohibited because it significantly increases needlestick risk; the phlebotomist should promptly remind the coworker to use the one-hand technique or activate the safety feature.
ASPT Safety and Infection Control 3
When removing PPE after caring for a patient on contact precautions, which item should be removed FIRST?