CHSP Infection Prevention and Control 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient is placed on contact precautions for MRSA. Which action by the nursing assistant requires immediate correction?
- Wearing gloves before entering the room
- Donning a gown before patient contact
- Removing PPE inside the patient room before exiting (Correct answer)
- Performing hand hygiene after removing gloves
Correct answer: Removing PPE inside the patient room before exiting
PPE must be removed before exiting the patient room, not inside it, to avoid contaminating the hallway environment.
Question 2: Which organism is the most common cause of healthcare-associated pneumonia in ventilated patients?
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Correct answer)
- Clostridioides difficile
- Candida albicans
Correct answer: Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most frequently implicated gram-negative organism in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in healthcare settings.
Question 3: An infection preventionist is evaluating surgical site infection (SSI) rates. Which pre-operative measure has the strongest evidence for reducing SSI risk?
- Administering prophylactic antibiotics within 60 minutes before incision (Correct answer)
- Shaving the surgical site the night before surgery
- Applying iodine-based skin prep exclusively
- Keeping the OR temperature below 65°F
Correct answer: Administering prophylactic antibiotics within 60 minutes before incision
Timely prophylactic antibiotic administration within 60 minutes before incision is the highest-evidence intervention for SSI prevention.
Question 4: Under CDC guidelines, which of the following surfaces in a patient room is considered a 'high-touch' surface requiring more frequent disinfection?
- Ceiling tiles
- Window blinds
- Call button and bed rails (Correct answer)
- Baseboards
Correct answer: Call button and bed rails
Call buttons and bed rails are high-touch surfaces that patients and staff contact frequently, making them priority targets for disinfection.
Question 5: A healthcare worker develops a needlestick injury from a patient with unknown HIV status. What is the first immediate action?
- Immediately start post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
- Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water (Correct answer)
- Notify the infection control department
- Draw blood from the source patient
Correct answer: Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water
Immediate and thorough washing of the wound with soap and water is the first step following a needlestick or sharps injury.
Question 6: Which disinfectant level is required for semi-critical medical devices such as endoscopes used on intact mucous membranes?
- Low-level disinfection
- Intermediate-level disinfection
- High-level disinfection (Correct answer)
- Sterilization
Correct answer: High-level disinfection
Semi-critical devices contact mucous membranes and require high-level disinfection to eliminate all microorganisms except high levels of bacterial spores.
Question 7: An outbreak of Clostridioides difficile is identified on a medical unit. Which hand hygiene agent is specifically recommended over alcohol-based hand rub for C. diff situations?
- Chlorhexidine gluconate solution
- Soap and water (Correct answer)
- Povidone-iodine scrub
- Quaternary ammonium compound
Correct answer: Soap and water
Soap and water is preferred for C. difficile because alcohol-based hand rubs do not effectively remove spores, whereas soap and water physically removes them.
CHSP Infection Prevention and Control 4
A patient is placed on contact precautions for MRSA.
Which action by the nursing assistant requires immediate correction?