EMS Safety & Infection Control 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When donning PPE for a patient on droplet precautions, which item should be put on FIRST?
- Gloves
- Gown (Correct answer)
- Mask/respirator
- Eye protection
Correct answer: Gown
The gown should be donned first so that its cuffs can be covered by gloves and other PPE is layered on top properly.
Question 2: A patient with chickenpox (varicella) requires which transmission-based precaution?
- Contact precautions only
- Droplet precautions only
- Airborne precautions only
- Both airborne and contact precautions (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Both airborne and contact precautions
Varicella is transmitted via both airborne droplet nuclei and direct contact with lesions, requiring both airborne and contact precautions.
Question 3: The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires employers to provide hepatitis B vaccination to EMS employees:
- Only after a documented exposure incident
- Within 10 working days of initial assignment (Correct answer)
- At the employee's request after 1 year of employment
- Annually as part of a booster program
Correct answer: Within 10 working days of initial assignment
OSHA requires hepatitis B vaccination to be offered to exposed workers within 10 working days of initial assignment at no cost to the employee.
Question 4: When removing contaminated gloves, the CORRECT technique is to:
- Pull both gloves off simultaneously by the fingertips
- Peel the first glove off from the wrist, then use the ungloved fingers inside the second glove (Correct answer)
- Use scissors to cut gloves off at the wrist
- Wash hands with gloves on before removal
Correct answer: Peel the first glove off from the wrist, then use the ungloved fingers inside the second glove
Proper doffing involves peeling the first glove inside-out from the wrist, then using the bare fingers tucked inside the second glove to remove it without touching the outer surface.
Question 5: An EMS crew member sustains a splash of patient blood to the eyes. After flushing with water, the provider should:
- Return to service if no symptoms develop within 1 hour
- Report the exposure to the designated officer and seek medical evaluation (Correct answer)
- Only report the incident if the patient is known to have HIV
- Apply antibiotic eye drops from the ambulance kit
Correct answer: Report the exposure to the designated officer and seek medical evaluation
Any blood splash to mucous membranes must be reported to the designated infection control officer and evaluated by a healthcare provider for post-exposure management.
Question 6: Which disinfection level is required for laryngoscope blades used on multiple patients?
- Low-level disinfection
- Intermediate-level disinfection
- High-level disinfection (Correct answer)
- Sterilization
Correct answer: High-level disinfection
Laryngoscope blades contact mucous membranes and are classified as semi-critical items requiring high-level disinfection between patient uses.
Question 7: What does the term 'engineering control' refer to in infection control?
- Administrative policies requiring hand hygiene compliance
- Physical devices that reduce exposure to hazards, such as needleless IV systems (Correct answer)
- The use of PPE to protect individual providers
- Environmental cleaning schedules for the ambulance
Correct answer: Physical devices that reduce exposure to hazards, such as needleless IV systems
Engineering controls are physical or mechanical devices (e.g., needleless systems, sharps containers) that eliminate or minimize exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
EMS Safety & Infection Control 3
When donning PPE for a patient on droplet precautions, which item should be put on FIRST?