CIC - Certification in Infection Prevention and Control Antimicrobial Stewardship Questions and Answers

Question 1

A hospital's antimicrobial stewardship program is evaluating its antibiotic consumption data.
Which of the following metrics is most recommended for tracking and reporting because it reflects the number of patients exposed to an antibiotic, regardless of the dose administered?

Accepted Answer

Days of Therapy (DOT)

Answer

Defined Daily Dose (DDD)

Answer

Grams of antibiotic purchased

Answer

Prescribed Daily Dose (PDD)

Question 2

An Infection Preventionist (IP) is a core member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee. The committee is reviewing a sharp increase in hospital-onset *Clostridioides difficile* infections (CDI) on the oncology unit. The stewardship pharmacist has already identified high usage rates of broad-spectrum antibiotics. What is the most critical and unique contribution the IP can make to the committee's investigation?

Accepted Answer

Auditing hand hygiene compliance and environmental cleaning practices on the unit.

Answer

Developing a new institutional guideline for empiric antibiotic selection.

Answer

Providing an educational in-service to physicians about the risks of fluoroquinolones.

Answer

Analyzing the cost-effectiveness of switching to a different primary antibiotic.

Question 3

Which of the following is a primary function of a facility-specific antibiogram for an antimicrobial stewardship program?

Accepted Answer

To guide the selection of effective empiric antimicrobial therapy based on local resistance patterns.

Answer

To track the daily cost of antimicrobial agents used in the facility.

Answer

To mandate which antibiotics individual physicians are allowed to prescribe.

Answer

To monitor individual patient response to a specific antibiotic regimen.

Question 4

According to the CDC's Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs, the strategy of reviewing a patient's antibiotic therapy after 48-72 hours to assess the need for adjustment, de-escalation, or discontinuation is best described as:

Accepted Answer

An 'Antibiotic Time-Out'

Answer

Formulary Restriction

Answer

Preauthorization

Answer

Reporting and Tracking

Question 5

A nurse on a medical-surgical unit reports that an 85-year-old female patient with an indwelling urinary catheter has cloudy, foul-smelling urine and a positive urinalysis for bacteria and pyuria. The patient has no fever, no suprapubic tenderness, and no change in mental status. Based on antimicrobial stewardship principles, what is the most appropriate next step?

Accepted Answer

Advise that this represents asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB), which does not require antibiotic treatment.

Answer

Recommend starting empiric antibiotics immediately pending a urine culture.

Answer

Suggest obtaining a urine culture and sensitivity before making a treatment decision.

Answer

Instruct the nurse to replace the indwelling catheter and send the catheter tip for culture.

Question 6

An Infection Preventionist is helping the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program develop educational materials for nursing staff. Which of the following is a key stewardship-related action that should be emphasized for the nursing staff to perform?

Accepted Answer

Questioning the indication and duration for antibiotic orders during patient assessments.

Answer

Deciding on the final antibiotic selection for complex infections.

Answer

Placing orders for antibiotic serum drug level monitoring.

Answer

Approving or denying requests for restricted antimicrobial agents.