MACE Infection Control & Safety Standards 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When administering medications to a resident in contact isolation, in what order should PPE be DONNED (put on)?
- Gloves, gown, mask, eye protection
- Gown, mask, eye protection, gloves (Correct answer)
- Mask, gloves, gown, eye protection
- Eye protection, gloves, gown, mask
Correct answer: Gown, mask, eye protection, gloves
The correct donning order per CDC guidelines is gown first, then mask/respirator, eye protection, and finally gloves.
Question 2: A medication aide notices a resident's IV site is red, swollen, and warm. This most likely indicates:
- Normal healing response
- Phlebitis or local infection at the IV site (Correct answer)
- Allergic reaction to the IV tubing
- Infiltration with no infection risk
Correct answer: Phlebitis or local infection at the IV site
Redness, swelling, and warmth at an IV site are classic signs of phlebitis or local infection and must be reported immediately.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of a reservoir in the chain of infection?
- A sneeze that spreads droplets
- An open wound containing bacteria (Correct answer)
- An unvaccinated healthcare worker
- A contaminated needle entering the skin
Correct answer: An open wound containing bacteria
A reservoir is where pathogens live and multiply; an infected wound containing bacteria is a classic example of a reservoir.
Question 4: A medication aide must give an injection. After use, the needle should be:
- Recapped using two hands and placed in sharps container
- Placed uncapped directly into the sharps container (Correct answer)
- Broken off before disposal to prevent reuse
- Wrapped in gauze and placed in the regular trash
Correct answer: Placed uncapped directly into the sharps container
Needles should be placed uncapped directly into an approved sharps container immediately after use to prevent needlestick injuries.
Question 5: Standard precautions require that blood and body fluids from ALL patients be treated as:
- Potentially infectious regardless of diagnosis (Correct answer)
- Safe unless the patient has a known infection
- Infectious only if the patient has HIV or hepatitis
- Infectious only when visibly contaminated
Correct answer: Potentially infectious regardless of diagnosis
Standard precautions treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious, regardless of the patient's known or unknown infection status.
Question 6: Which situation requires the medication aide to perform hand hygiene BEFORE putting on gloves?
- After removing gloves from the previous task
- Before touching a resident's intact skin
- Before donning gloves for any procedure (Correct answer)
- Only when gloves are visibly soiled
Correct answer: Before donning gloves for any procedure
Hand hygiene must be performed before donning gloves to prevent contaminating the gloves' exterior during application.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS/SDS) in a healthcare facility?
- To document a resident's medication allergies
- To provide information on hazardous chemicals including safe handling and emergency response (Correct answer)
- To record infection control violations
- To list approved medications on the formulary
Correct answer: To provide information on hazardous chemicals including safe handling and emergency response
An SDS (formerly MSDS) provides information about hazardous substances including composition, handling precautions, and emergency response procedures.
MACE Infection Control & Safety Standards 3
When administering medications to a resident in contact isolation, in what order should PPE be DONNED (put on)?