Test Flashcards

When performing a root cause analysis (RCA) after an HAI cluster, which tool is most useful for systematically identifying contributing factors?

Answer: Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram

A fishbone diagram organizes potential causes into categories (e.g., people, process, equipment) and helps teams systematically identify root causes.

Which reprocessing method achieves the highest level of microbial kill, including destruction of all bacterial spores?

Answer: Sterilization

Sterilization destroys all forms of microbial life including bacterial endospores, making it the highest level of microbial kill.

A new nurse asks which body fluids require standard precautions. Which response is most accurate?

Answer: All body fluids, secretions, and excretions except sweat

Standard precautions apply to all body fluids, secretions, and excretions (except sweat), non-intact skin, and mucous membranes regardless of known infection status.

Which organization publishes the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) surveillance protocols used as the US standard for HAI reporting?

Answer: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The CDC develops and maintains NHSN, the nation's most widely used HAI tracking system used by healthcare facilities across the country.

A community hospital reports a cluster of post-cesarean SSIs caused by a single strain of Staphylococcus aureus. Which approach is the priority first step in the investigation?

Answer: Review the case line list and compare case demographics, procedures, and staff involved

Constructing a line list to identify commonalities among cases is the priority first step to generate hypotheses about the source and transmission route.

Which factor most directly increases a patient's susceptibility to infection during hospitalization?

Answer: Presence of an indwelling urinary catheter

Indwelling urinary catheters bypass host defenses by providing a direct portal of entry for microorganisms into the bladder, significantly increasing UTI risk.

Which contact time (wet contact time) is required for a disinfectant to achieve its labeled efficacy?

Answer: The surface must remain visibly wet for the full contact time specified on the label

The surface must remain visibly wet for the full contact time stated on the EPA-registered label for the disinfectant to achieve its claimed kill.