CIC Surveillance & Epidemiologic Investigation 5

Question 1

Which of the following best defines 'endemic' infection rate in healthcare epidemiology?

Accepted Answer

The usual or expected background rate of infection in a population

Answer

The endemic rate is the expected or baseline frequency of infection in a facility, against which increases (outbreaks) are measured.

Question 2

A prospective surveillance system that relies on voluntary reporting by clinicians without active case-finding is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Passive surveillance

Answer

Passive surveillance depends on clinicians or labs to voluntarily report cases, without the IP actively seeking out infections.

Question 3

Which epidemiologic measure compares disease frequency between an exposed and unexposed group in a cohort study?

Accepted Answer

Relative risk (risk ratio)

Answer

Relative risk (risk ratio) directly compares incidence between exposed and unexposed groups in prospective cohort studies.

Question 4

A hospital IP is performing surveillance for SSIs. Which patient chart element is most critical for determining the date of the index procedure for SSI attribution?

Accepted Answer

Date of the operative procedure

Answer

The date of the operative procedure is the anchor for NHSN SSI surveillance, determining the 30- or 90-day post-procedure window.

Question 5

An IP discovers that CAUTI rates are much higher in the medical ICU than the surgical ICU. After risk adjustment, the difference disappears. This suggests the initial difference was due to:

Accepted Answer

Confounding by patient acuity or catheter duration

Answer

When rate differences disappear after risk adjustment, confounding variables (such as patient acuity or duration of catheterization) explain the apparent disparity.

CIC - Certification in Infection Prevention and Control Practice Test

CIC - Certification in Infection Prevention and Control Practice Test

CIC Surveillance & Epidemiologic Investigation 5