BTC Safety & Infection Control 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When transporting a contaminated medical device from a patient care area to the repair shop, what is the most important precaution?
- Wrap it in a sterile drape
- Place it in a sealed, labeled biohazard container or bag (Correct answer)
- Wipe it with alcohol wipes before transport
- Carry it directly to avoid delay
Correct answer: Place it in a sealed, labeled biohazard container or bag
Contaminated devices must be placed in sealed, labeled biohazard containers to prevent exposure during transport.
Question 2: Which type of isolation precaution requires placing a patient in a negative-pressure room?
- Contact precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Airborne precautions (Correct answer)
- Protective environment precautions
Correct answer: Airborne precautions
Airborne precautions require negative-pressure rooms to prevent spread of pathogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis that travel on small particles.
Question 3: A biomedical technician notices a cracked plastic housing on a defibrillator. What is the primary safety concern?
- Reduced aesthetic appearance
- Increased risk of electrical shock or microshock to users and patients (Correct answer)
- Reduced battery life
- Inaccurate energy delivery readings
Correct answer: Increased risk of electrical shock or microshock to users and patients
A cracked housing can expose live electrical components, creating shock hazards for users and patients.
Question 4: What is the purpose of an Equipment Control Number (ECN) or asset tag on biomedical equipment?
- To identify the manufacturer's warranty status
- To track maintenance history, inspections, and accountability (Correct answer)
- To indicate the purchase price of the device
- To specify the device's IP address on the hospital network
Correct answer: To track maintenance history, inspections, and accountability
ECNs link devices to their maintenance records, inspection schedules, and location history in the CMMS.
Question 5: Hand hygiene with alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) is NOT recommended when hands are visibly soiled because:
- ABHR causes skin irritation with visible soiling
- Organic material reduces the antimicrobial efficacy of ABHR (Correct answer)
- ABHR does not kill gram-positive bacteria
- Soap is cheaper than ABHR
Correct answer: Organic material reduces the antimicrobial efficacy of ABHR
Organic matter (blood, body fluids) inactivates alcohol-based agents, so soap and water must be used when hands are visibly soiled.
Question 6: Which radiation safety principle describes keeping exposure time short, maximizing distance, and using shielding?
- ALARA (Correct answer)
- TDS
- HACCP
- RACE
Correct answer: ALARA
ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) uses time, distance, and shielding to minimize ionizing radiation exposure.
Question 7: Which chemical indicator placed inside a sterilization pack verifies that the package was exposed to the sterilization process?
- Type 1 process indicator (external)
- Type 5 integrating indicator (internal) (Correct answer)
- Biological indicator
- Bowie-Dick test sheet
Correct answer: Type 5 integrating indicator (internal)
Type 5 integrating indicators placed inside packs respond to all critical steam sterilization parameters and provide the strongest chemical assurance short of a BI.
BTC Safety & Infection Control 3
When transporting a contaminated medical device from a patient care area to the repair shop, what is the most important precaution?