EMS Safety & Infection Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An EMS provider responds to a patient with suspected active tuberculosis. Which respiratory protection is the MINIMUM required?
- Surgical mask
- N95 respirator (Correct answer)
- Standard face shield
- Powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR)
Correct answer: N95 respirator
An N95 respirator (or higher) is required for airborne precautions when caring for patients with suspected or confirmed tuberculosis.
Question 2: After a needlestick injury involving a patient with unknown HIV status, the FIRST action an EMS provider should take is:
- Complete an incident report
- Immediately begin post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
- Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water (Correct answer)
- Contact the receiving hospital for guidance
Correct answer: Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water
Immediate wound washing with soap and water is the first step to reduce pathogen load after a needlestick injury.
Question 3: Which of the following is considered a 'sharps' item that must be disposed of in a puncture-resistant container?
- Blood-soaked gauze
- Used ET tube
- Lancet used for blood glucose testing (Correct answer)
- Contaminated gloves
Correct answer: Lancet used for blood glucose testing
Lancets are sharps and must be discarded in a puncture-resistant sharps container to prevent needlestick injuries.
Question 4: Contact precautions are MOST appropriate for a patient diagnosed with:
- Influenza
- Pulmonary tuberculosis
- MRSA skin infection (Correct answer)
- Meningococcal meningitis
Correct answer: MRSA skin infection
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) skin infections require contact precautions to prevent direct or indirect transmission.
Question 5: The Ryan White CARE Act requires:
- All EMS providers to be vaccinated against hepatitis B
- Notification of EMS providers potentially exposed to infectious diseases (Correct answer)
- Mandatory HIV testing of all trauma patients
- Annual tuberculosis skin testing for EMS personnel
Correct answer: Notification of EMS providers potentially exposed to infectious diseases
The Ryan White CARE Act requires notification of emergency responders when they may have been exposed to a life-threatening infectious disease.
Question 6: Which cleaning agent is most appropriate for decontaminating the ambulance stretcher after transporting a patient with C. difficile?
- Quaternary ammonium compounds
- Isopropyl alcohol wipes
- Bleach-based disinfectant (Correct answer)
- Hydrogen peroxide spray
Correct answer: Bleach-based disinfectant
C. difficile spores are resistant to alcohol and most disinfectants, requiring bleach-based (sodium hypochlorite) solutions for effective decontamination.
Question 7: Which of the following body fluids is considered LOWEST risk for HIV transmission?
- Blood
- Semen
- Saliva (Correct answer)
- Cerebrospinal fluid
Correct answer: Saliva
Saliva has extremely low concentrations of HIV and is not considered a significant route of transmission in occupational settings.
EMS Safety & Infection Control 2
An EMS provider responds to a patient with suspected active tuberculosis.
Which respiratory protection is the MINIMUM required?