IHSA Infection Control & Prevention 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of transmission occurs when an infected athlete coughs and respiratory droplets land on a nearby teammate's mucous membranes?
- Airborne transmission
- Droplet transmission (Correct answer)
- Contact transmission
- Vector-borne transmission
Correct answer: Droplet transmission
Droplet transmission occurs when large respiratory droplets travel short distances (typically less than 6 feet) and land on mucous membranes.
Question 2: A coach notices an athlete has an open wound during practice. What is the FIRST action the coach should take?
- Apply antiseptic directly to the wound
- Have the athlete wash the wound with soap and water
- Remove the athlete from play and have them cover the wound (Correct answer)
- Continue practice and address it afterward
Correct answer: Remove the athlete from play and have them cover the wound
The athlete should be immediately removed from activity and the wound covered to prevent blood-borne pathogen exposure to others.
Question 3: Which bloodborne pathogen poses the greatest occupational exposure risk due to its high concentration in infected blood and its ability to survive on environmental surfaces for up to 7 days?
- HIV
- Hepatitis C (HCV)
- Hepatitis B (HBV) (Correct answer)
- MRSA
Correct answer: Hepatitis B (HBV)
HBV can survive on dry surfaces for up to 7 days and is 50–100 times more infectious than HIV, making it the highest bloodborne transmission risk.
Question 4: When disinfecting shared athletic equipment after a practice, the coach should ensure the disinfectant remains on the surface for the manufacturer's recommended contact time because:
- It prevents the disinfectant from evaporating too quickly
- Premature wiping leaves active pathogens viable (Correct answer)
- It satisfies OSHA documentation requirements
- Longer contact time reduces chemical residue
Correct answer: Premature wiping leaves active pathogens viable
Disinfectants require a minimum wet contact (dwell) time to kill pathogens; wiping before that time leaves organisms alive.
Question 5: An athlete diagnosed with impetigo should be restricted from contact sports until:
- They are symptom-free for 24 hours
- All lesions are completely healed or adequately covered and non-draining (Correct answer)
- They complete a full course of antibiotics regardless of lesion status
- A physician clears them after two weeks
Correct answer: All lesions are completely healed or adequately covered and non-draining
NFHS guidelines allow return when lesions are covered, non-draining, and no new lesions have appeared, or all lesions are fully healed.
Question 6: Which hand hygiene method is LEAST effective against Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) spores?
- Washing with soap and water for 20 seconds
- Using alcohol-based hand sanitizer (Correct answer)
- Washing with an antimicrobial soap
- Scrubbing hands under running water for 30 seconds
Correct answer: Using alcohol-based hand sanitizer
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not destroy C. diff spores; soap and water physically remove spores from the skin surface.
Question 7: Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030), athletic programs that employ staff must provide hepatitis B vaccination to at-risk employees:
- Within 30 days of initial assignment
- Within 10 working days of initial assignment (Correct answer)
- Before the start of each athletic season
- Only after a documented exposure incident
Correct answer: Within 10 working days of initial assignment
OSHA requires employers to offer the HBV vaccine series to exposed employees within 10 working days of their initial assignment.
IHSA Infection Control & Prevention 2
Which type of transmission occurs when an infected athlete coughs and respiratory droplets land on a nearby teammate's mucous membranes?