CIC Surveillance & Epidemiologic Investigation 2

Question 1

Which measure best describes the probability that a surveillance test correctly identifies individuals who truly have an infection?

Accepted Answer

Sensitivity

Answer

Sensitivity is the proportion of true positives correctly identified by a test, reflecting its ability to detect actual cases.

Question 2

An infection preventionist identifies a cluster of surgical site infections on a single unit over two weeks. What is the FIRST step in the outbreak investigation?

Accepted Answer

Verify the diagnosis and confirm the cluster exists

Answer

The first step in any outbreak investigation is to verify the diagnosis and confirm that a true cluster exists before taking further action.

Question 3

Which type of epidemiologic study design compares the frequency of an exposure between individuals with a disease and those without it?

Accepted Answer

Case-control study

Answer

Case-control studies compare exposures in cases (those with disease) versus controls (those without disease) to identify risk factors.

Question 4

A hospital reports 12 CLABSI events from 5,000 central line days. What is the CLABSI rate per 1,000 central line days?

Accepted Answer

2.4

Answer

CLABSI rate = (12 / 5,000) × 1,000 = 2.4 infections per 1,000 central line days.

Question 5

Which NHSN surveillance definition component specifies the timeframe within which an infection must develop to be attributed to a healthcare setting?

Accepted Answer

Infection window period

Answer

The infection window period (IWP) in NHSN definitions specifies the ±7-day window used to group elements of an infection into a single HAI event.

CIC - Certification in Infection Prevention and Control Practice Test

CIC - Certification in Infection Prevention and Control Practice Test

CIC Surveillance & Epidemiologic Investigation 2