CO Infection Control & Prevention 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which regulatory agency establishes bloodborne pathogen standards that orthotists must follow in the United States?
- CDC
- FDA
- OSHA (Correct answer)
- CMS
Correct answer: OSHA
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) sets legally enforceable requirements for protecting workers from bloodborne pathogens.
Question 2: A thermoplastic orthosis was in contact with a non-intact wound. According to Spaulding classification, this device is considered:
- Noncritical
- Semicritical (Correct answer)
- Critical
- Uncategorized
Correct answer: Semicritical
Devices contacting non-intact skin or mucous membranes are classified as semicritical items, requiring at minimum high-level disinfection.
Question 3: What is the correct sequence for donning PPE before entering a contact precaution room?
- Gloves → gown → mask → eye protection
- Gown → mask → eye protection → gloves (Correct answer)
- Mask → gloves → gown → eye protection
- Eye protection → gown → gloves → mask
Correct answer: Gown → mask → eye protection → gloves
The CDC-recommended donning sequence is gown first, then mask/respirator, then eye protection, then gloves last to avoid contaminating other PPE.
Question 4: An orthotist sustains a needlestick injury while working with a patient of unknown HIV status. What is the FIRST immediate action?
- Start post-exposure prophylaxis immediately
- Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water (Correct answer)
- Report the incident to the supervisor
- Test the patient for HIV
Correct answer: Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water
Immediate wound washing with soap and water is the first first-aid step after a needlestick; reporting and PEP evaluation follow.
Question 5: Which surface disinfectant concentration of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) is recommended by the CDC for decontaminating blood spills?
- 1:10 dilution (approximately 5,000 ppm) (Correct answer)
- 1:100 dilution (approximately 500 ppm)
- Undiluted household bleach
- 1:50 dilution (approximately 1,000 ppm)
Correct answer: 1:10 dilution (approximately 5,000 ppm)
CDC recommends a 1:10 dilution of household bleach (approximately 5,000 ppm chlorine) for blood spill decontamination.
Question 6: What does the term 'engineering control' mean in the context of infection prevention for orthotists?
- Administrative policies that change work practices
- Physical or mechanical devices that isolate or remove hazards (Correct answer)
- PPE worn by the practitioner
- Environmental monitoring of air quality
Correct answer: Physical or mechanical devices that isolate or remove hazards
Engineering controls are physical devices or design features (e.g., sharps containers, ventilation) that remove or reduce hazards at the source.
Question 7: A patient's prefabricated wrist splint was used by multiple patients and is now visibly soiled with exudate. The BEST course of action is to:
- Disinfect with low-level disinfectant and reassign
- Sterilize with ethylene oxide and reassign
- Discard the device and replace with a new one (Correct answer)
- Soak in 70% isopropyl alcohol for 10 minutes
Correct answer: Discard the device and replace with a new one
Single-patient-use devices or those that cannot be adequately reprocessed after visible contamination should be discarded to prevent cross-contamination.
CO Infection Control & Prevention 3
Which regulatory agency establishes bloodborne pathogen standards that orthotists must follow in the United States?