Health Care Assistant Infection Prevention and Control 1 Flashcards

When removing (doffing) personal protective equipment after caring for a patient on contact precautions, which item should be removed FIRST?

Answer: Gloves

Gloves are the most contaminated item and must be removed first to prevent transferring pathogens to other PPE or your face. The correct doffing order is: gloves → gown → eye protection → mask/respirator, with hand hygiene performed after removing gloves and again after all PPE is removed.

A health care assistant is caring for a resident with tuberculosis (TB). Which type of transmission-based precautions must be implemented?

Answer: Airborne precautions

Tuberculosis spreads via airborne transmission — tiny droplet nuclei that can remain suspended in the air for extended periods. Airborne precautions require a negative-pressure room, an N95 respirator (not a surgical mask), and the door kept closed at all times.

Which of the following situations requires hand washing with soap and water rather than an alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR)?

Answer: When hands are visibly soiled with blood

Alcohol-based hand rubs are not effective at physically removing visible soil, blood, or body fluids. Soap and water must be used when hands are visibly dirty or contaminated, and also after known or suspected exposure to Clostridioides difficile or norovirus, as alcohol is less effective against these organisms.

Which link in the chain of infection does proper hand hygiene MOST directly break?

Answer: Mode of transmission

Hand hygiene interrupts the mode of transmission by removing or killing pathogens on the hands before they can be carried from one surface or person to another. Breaking any link in the chain of infection prevents disease spread, but hand hygiene primarily targets transmission.

A health care assistant enters a resident's room and notices the resident has a new productive cough and runny nose. Before providing close personal care, what is the MOST appropriate immediate action?

Answer: Don a surgical mask and gloves before approaching within one metre

Respiratory symptoms such as a productive cough and runny nose suggest possible droplet transmission. A surgical mask protects the HCA within the droplet zone (approximately one metre), and gloves are required for contact with mucous membranes and secretions under standard precautions. This reflects a point-of-care risk assessment — applying precautions before a formal diagnosis is confirmed.

Which of the following BEST describes the difference between cleaning and disinfecting a care environment?

Answer: Cleaning removes dirt and organic material; disinfecting reduces microorganism counts to a safe level

Cleaning physically removes dirt, dust, and organic matter (such as blood or body fluids), which is essential first because organic material can shield microorganisms from disinfectants. Disinfecting then uses a chemical agent to kill or inactivate pathogens on the cleaned surface. Sterilization, a separate process, destroys all microbial life including spores.