CBIC Isolation Precautions 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient with suspected SARS-CoV-2 is being evaluated in the ED. Which precautions should be initiated immediately?
- Standard Precautions only
- Contact and Droplet Precautions
- Airborne, Contact, and Eye protection precautions (Correct answer)
- Droplet Precautions only
Correct answer: Airborne, Contact, and Eye protection precautions
Suspected SARS-CoV-2 warrants Airborne, Contact, and Eye protection precautions due to evidence of airborne and droplet transmission plus contact risk.
Question 2: Which of the following is considered an aerosol-generating procedure (AGP) that warrants enhanced respiratory precautions?
- Routine blood draw
- Endotracheal intubation (Correct answer)
- Oral medication administration
- Peripheral IV insertion
Correct answer: Endotracheal intubation
Endotracheal intubation is a high-risk aerosol-generating procedure that can disperse respiratory particles and warrants N95 or higher respiratory protection.
Question 3: How long should staff wait before entering a negative-pressure room after an Airborne Precautions patient has been discharged?
- No wait required after patient leaves
- At least 15 minutes at 12 ACH (Correct answer)
- At least 60 minutes regardless of air changes
- At least 30 minutes at all ventilation rates
Correct answer: At least 15 minutes at 12 ACH
At 12 ACH, approximately 99% of airborne contaminants are cleared in about 23 minutes, but a minimum 15-minute guideline is commonly applied for practical purposes.
Question 4: A patient with scabies is admitted. Which precaution type is MOST appropriate?
- Standard Precautions only
- Droplet Precautions
- Contact Precautions (Correct answer)
- Airborne Precautions
Correct answer: Contact Precautions
Scabies is transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact and requires Contact Precautions, including gown and gloves.
Question 5: Which statement about cohorting patients on isolation precautions is correct?
- Cohorting is never acceptable and each patient must have a private room
- Patients infected with the same organism may be cohorted together (Correct answer)
- Cohorting combines patients with any type of infection to save rooms
- Cohorting eliminates the need for standard hand hygiene practices
Correct answer: Patients infected with the same organism may be cohorted together
Cohorting groups patients infected with the same pathogen together when private rooms are unavailable, reducing spread to others.
Question 6: Which organism is most likely to prompt the initiation of a 'Enhanced Barrier Precautions' (EBP) protocol in a nursing home setting?
- MRSA nasal colonization
- Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) (Correct answer)
- Influenza A
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Correct answer: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE)
Enhanced Barrier Precautions were designed for highly resistant organisms like CRE in long-term care settings where standard precautions may be insufficient.
Question 7: A patient on Contact Precautions needs to be transported to radiology. Which action is MOST appropriate?
- Cancel the procedure until precautions are lifted
- Transport without PPE since the duration is brief
- Notify receiving department, cover wounds/drains, and apply clean gown to patient (Correct answer)
- Send only airborne precaution patients with clean gowns
Correct answer: Notify receiving department, cover wounds/drains, and apply clean gown to patient
When transporting Contact Precautions patients, the receiving area should be notified and the patient should have wounds covered and wear a clean gown to minimize environmental contamination.
CBIC Isolation Precautions 4
A patient with suspected SARS-CoV-2 is being evaluated in the ED.
Which precautions should be initiated immediately?