ASPT Safety and Infection Control 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following pathogens is transmitted via the fecal-oral route and requires contact precautions with special attention to hand washing with soap and water?
- Hepatitis B virus
- HIV
- Clostridium difficile (Correct answer)
- MRSA
Correct answer: Clostridium difficile
C. difficile produces spores that are not killed by alcohol-based hand rubs, so soap and water must be used, and contact precautions are required to prevent fecal-oral spread.
Question 2: The 'reservoir' in the chain of infection refers to:
- The route by which an organism leaves the host
- The place where the infectious agent lives and multiplies (Correct answer)
- The susceptible individual who becomes infected
- The mode by which the organism travels between hosts
Correct answer: The place where the infectious agent lives and multiplies
A reservoir is the habitat (human, animal, or environmental) where the infectious agent normally lives, multiplies, and from which it can be transmitted.
Question 3: A phlebotomist sustains a needlestick from a needle used on a patient with known HIV. After first aid, the NEXT step is to:
- Wait 24 hours to see if symptoms develop before reporting
- Report immediately to occupational health or a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Discard the needle and continue working without documentation
- Self-administer any available antibiotics from the supply room
Correct answer: Report immediately to occupational health or a supervisor
Immediate reporting to occupational health is critical because post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV must be started as soon as possible, ideally within 2 hours of exposure.
Question 4: Which item is classified as biohazardous waste and must be discarded in a red bag or biohazard container?
- Used paper towels from routine handwashing
- Unopened alcohol prep pads past their expiration date
- Blood-saturated gauze pads from a venipuncture site (Correct answer)
- Empty evacuated blood collection tubes with no visible blood
Correct answer: Blood-saturated gauze pads from a venipuncture site
Blood-saturated gauze is regulated medical waste and must be discarded in a properly labeled biohazard container, not in regular trash.
Question 5: Standard Precautions apply to which of the following?
- Only patients diagnosed with a communicable disease
- Only blood and visibly bloody body fluids
- Blood, all body fluids, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes of ALL patients (Correct answer)
- Only patients who are immunocompromised
Correct answer: Blood, all body fluids, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes of ALL patients
Standard Precautions treat blood, all body fluids (except sweat unless visibly bloody), non-intact skin, and mucous membranes from every patient as potentially infectious.
Question 6: The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act of 2000 requires employers to:
- Provide hepatitis A vaccination to all employees
- Involve non-managerial employees in selecting safer needle devices (Correct answer)
- Eliminate all needles from the workplace
- Allow employees to recap needles in low-risk situations
Correct answer: Involve non-managerial employees in selecting safer needle devices
The Act mandates that frontline workers who use sharps be involved in evaluating and selecting safer needle devices to ensure practical input on what actually reduces injury.
Question 7: Which PPE item is most important when performing a venipuncture on a patient with a known bloodborne infection?
- N95 respirator
- Surgical mask
- Gloves (Correct answer)
- Face shield only
Correct answer: Gloves
Gloves are mandatory for all venipunctures under Standard Precautions and are the primary PPE barrier protecting against blood contact during phlebotomy.
ASPT Safety and Infection Control 4
Which of the following pathogens is transmitted via the fecal-oral route and requires contact precautions with special attention to hand washing with soap and water?