CBIC Surveillance 5

Question 1

Which of the following best describes 'incidence density' as used in HAI surveillance?

Accepted Answer

Number of new cases divided by the total time at risk (e.g., device-days)

Answer

Incidence density (rate) divides new cases by the total person-time at risk, such as device-days, to account for varying exposure durations.

Question 2

Feedback of surveillance data to clinical staff is important primarily because:

Accepted Answer

It motivates behavior change and improvement in infection prevention practices

Answer

Sharing surveillance results with frontline staff creates awareness of performance and motivates adoption of prevention practices.

Question 3

A case definition for HAI surveillance should be established BEFORE data collection begins primarily to:

Accepted Answer

Ensure consistent and unbiased case identification

Answer

Pre-established case definitions ensure that all reviewers apply the same criteria, reducing surveillance bias and improving data comparability.

Question 4

When evaluating surveillance system usefulness, which attribute measures how quickly the system detects a health event after it occurs?

Accepted Answer

Timeliness

Answer

Timeliness measures the speed between infection onset (or reporting trigger) and detection, which is critical for rapid outbreak response.

Question 5

Which type of analysis is most appropriate to determine whether an observed CLABSI cluster exceeds the expected endemic rate?

Accepted Answer

Statistical process control (SPC) using a control chart

Answer

Statistical process control charts plot rates over time and use control limits to distinguish special-cause variation (outbreaks) from common-cause variation.

CBIC - Certification Board of Infection Control Practice Test

CBIC - Certification Board of Infection Control Practice Test

CBIC Surveillance 5