MOH Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the single most effective method to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)?
- Wearing gloves at all times
- Proper hand hygiene (Correct answer)
- Using prophylactic antibiotics
- Wearing a surgical mask
Correct answer: Proper hand hygiene
Proper hand hygiene remains the cornerstone of infection prevention as it breaks the chain of transmission most effectively.
Question 2: Standard precautions in healthcare settings apply to:
- Only patients with confirmed infections
- Only blood and visible body fluids
- All patients regardless of known infectious status (Correct answer)
- Only immunocompromised patients
Correct answer: All patients regardless of known infectious status
Standard precautions apply universally to all patients because infectious status is not always known at the time of care.
Question 3: According to WHO's 'Five Moments of Hand Hygiene,' when should healthcare workers perform hand hygiene?
- Only before patient contact
- Before patient contact, before aseptic tasks, after body fluid exposure, after patient contact, and after touching patient surroundings (Correct answer)
- Only after contact with body fluids
- Before entering and after leaving the patient room only
Correct answer: Before patient contact, before aseptic tasks, after body fluid exposure, after patient contact, and after touching patient surroundings
WHO's Five Moments cover the full cycle of care — before touching the patient, before clean/aseptic procedures, after body fluid exposure risk, after touching the patient, and after touching patient surroundings.
Question 4: Which type of transmission-based precaution is required for a patient with active pulmonary tuberculosis?
- Contact precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Airborne precautions (Correct answer)
- Protective (reverse) isolation
Correct answer: Airborne precautions
TB is transmitted via airborne droplet nuclei (<5 µm) that remain suspended in air, requiring airborne precautions including a negative-pressure room and N95 respirator.
Question 5: What is the correct sequence for donning (putting on) PPE?
- Gloves → Gown → Mask → Eye protection
- Gown → Mask/respirator → Eye protection → Gloves (Correct answer)
- Mask → Gown → Eye protection → Gloves
- Eye protection → Gown → Mask → Gloves
Correct answer: Gown → Mask/respirator → Eye protection → Gloves
Donning proceeds from the largest item to the smallest: gown first (body protection), then mask/respirator, then eye protection, and finally gloves (which cover cuffs of the gown).
Question 6: When hands are visibly soiled with blood or body fluids, the recommended hand decontamination method is:
- Alcohol-based hand rub
- Soap and water (Correct answer)
- Chlorhexidine-impregnated wipes
- Povidone-iodine solution
Correct answer: Soap and water
Alcohol-based hand rubs are ineffective at removing visible soil or organic matter; soap and water must be used when hands are visibly dirty.
Question 7: A healthcare-associated infection (HAI) is formally defined as an infection that:
- Occurs within 24 hours of hospital admission
- Is present or incubating at the time of hospital admission
- Develops 48 hours or more after hospital admission and was not present on admission (Correct answer)
- Occurs only in surgical or ICU patients
Correct answer: Develops 48 hours or more after hospital admission and was not present on admission
The standard definition of a HAI requires that the infection was not present or incubating at the time of admission and manifests 48 hours or more after the patient was admitted.
MOH Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 1
What is the single most effective method to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)?