CMA CMA Infection Control & Sterilization 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which organism type is most resistant to standard sterilization methods?
- Viruses
- Bacteria in vegetative form
- Bacterial endospores (Correct answer)
- Fungi
Correct answer: Bacterial endospores
Bacterial endospores (such as those of Clostridioides difficile) are highly resistant to heat, chemicals, and radiation.
Question 2: Airborne precautions are required for which of the following conditions?
- Influenza
- MRSA wound infection
- Active tuberculosis (TB) (Correct answer)
- RSV
Correct answer: Active tuberculosis (TB)
Active tuberculosis requires airborne precautions because Mycobacterium tuberculosis is spread through tiny airborne droplet nuclei that remain suspended in the air.
Question 3: When removing contaminated gloves, what is the correct first step?
- Pull both gloves off simultaneously
- Grasp the outside of one glove at the wrist and peel it off (Correct answer)
- Wash hands while gloves are still on
- Cut the gloves off with scissors
Correct answer: Grasp the outside of one glove at the wrist and peel it off
The correct technique is to grasp the outside of one glove at the wrist and peel it off, turning it inside out to contain contaminants.
Question 4: Which solution is used as a high-level disinfectant for semi-critical medical instruments?
- 70% isopropyl alcohol
- Glutaraldehyde (Correct answer)
- Bleach 1:10 dilution
- Hydrogen peroxide 3%
Correct answer: Glutaraldehyde
Glutaraldehyde is a high-level disinfectant effective against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and most spores, used for semi-critical items like endoscopes.
Question 5: A biological indicator (spore test) is used to verify the effectiveness of which process?
- Chemical disinfection
- Sanitization
- Sterilization (Correct answer)
- Hand washing
Correct answer: Sterilization
Biological indicators containing highly resistant bacterial spores are the gold standard for confirming that sterilization cycles have been successful.
Question 6: What is the minimum recommended contact time for most intermediate-level disinfectants to be effective?
- A few seconds
- The product's labeled wet contact time (Correct answer)
- Only visible dryness
- 24 hours
Correct answer: The product's labeled wet contact time
Disinfectants must remain wet on the surface for the full contact time specified on the product label to achieve the intended level of microbial kill.
CMA CMA Infection Control & Sterilization 2
Which organism type is most resistant to standard sterilization methods?