Infection Prevention Flashcards

Which transmission-based precaution category requires patients to be placed in a negative-pressure isolation room?

Answer: Airborne precautions

Airborne precautions require a negative-pressure room with at least 12 air changes per hour to prevent spread of pathogens such as M. tuberculosis and measles.

A nurse develops a needlestick injury while drawing blood from an HIV-positive patient. According to CDC guidelines, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) should ideally be started within:

Answer: 72 hours

PEP should be initiated as soon as possible, ideally within hours, but remains effective if started within 72 hours of exposure.

Which of the following is the MOST important element of a successful hand hygiene program in a healthcare setting?

Answer: Providing alcohol-based hand rub at every point of care

Ensuring alcohol-based hand rub is accessible at every point of care is the single most impactful structural intervention to improve hand hygiene compliance.

The term 'healthcare-associated infection' (HAI) is defined as an infection that occurs:

Answer: Within 48 hours of hospital admission or 3 days after discharge

An HAI is an infection not present or incubating at admission that develops 48+ hours after admission, within 3 days of discharge, or 30 days after surgery.

Which isolation precaution level is required for a patient diagnosed with Clostridioides difficile infection?

Answer: Contact precautions

C. difficile is spread via the fecal-oral route through contact with spores, requiring contact precautions including gown and gloves.

An infection preventionist is reviewing NHSN data and notes the facility's CLABSI Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR) is 1.8. This means the facility has:

Answer: 80% more infections than the national benchmark

An SIR of 1.8 means the facility observed 80% more infections than the NHSN national baseline prediction, indicating performance below benchmark.

Which of the following personal protective equipment (PPE) items should be removed FIRST when doffing after caring for a patient on contact precautions?

Answer: Gloves

Gloves are removed first during doffing because they are the most contaminated item and removing them first prevents self-contamination during subsequent steps.