MS Safety & Infection Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient with active pulmonary tuberculosis is admitted. Which isolation category is required?
- Contact precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Airborne precautions (Correct answer)
- Protective environment
Correct answer: Airborne precautions
Pulmonary tuberculosis requires airborne precautions because TB is transmitted via small airborne droplet nuclei that remain suspended in the air.
Question 2: When documenting a needlestick injury, which element is MOST critical to record immediately?
- The nurse's shift schedule
- The type of device, body site, and source patient's HIV status (Correct answer)
- The color of the needle cap
- The patient's insurance provider
Correct answer: The type of device, body site, and source patient's HIV status
Device type, body site of injury, and source patient's infectious status are critical for determining post-exposure prophylaxis and treatment decisions.
Question 3: Which CDC hand hygiene guideline applies when hands are visibly soiled with blood?
- Alcohol-based hand rub is preferred
- Soap and water must be used (Correct answer)
- Either method is equally acceptable
- Gloves eliminate the need for hand hygiene
Correct answer: Soap and water must be used
Visibly soiled hands must be washed with soap and water because alcohol-based hand rubs are not effective at removing organic material.
Question 4: A scribe notices a sharps container is three-quarters full. What is the appropriate action?
- Continue using it until completely full
- Alert staff that the container should be replaced (Correct answer)
- Push items down to create more space
- Leave it for the next shift to handle
Correct answer: Alert staff that the container should be replaced
Sharps containers should be replaced when three-quarters full to prevent overfilling, which increases needlestick risk during disposal.
Question 5: Which pathogen requires a patient to be placed in a private room with negative air pressure?
- MRSA
- Clostridium difficile
- Measles (Correct answer)
- Norovirus
Correct answer: Measles
Measles is transmitted via airborne droplet nuclei and requires a negative pressure room to prevent spread to adjacent areas.
Question 6: Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, which hepatitis virus poses the greatest occupational transmission risk?
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B (Correct answer)
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis D
Correct answer: Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is far more infectious than HIV or HCV via needlestick exposure, with up to 30% transmission risk per percutaneous exposure from an HBeAg-positive source.
Question 7: When a medical scribe enters a room with a patient on contact precautions for C. difficile, which PPE is mandatory?
- N95 respirator and eye shield
- Gown and gloves (Correct answer)
- Surgical mask and gloves
- Gown, gloves, and N95 respirator
Correct answer: Gown and gloves
C. difficile contact precautions require a gown and gloves; alcohol-based hand rubs are ineffective, so soap and water must be used after removal.
MS Safety & Infection Control 2
A patient with active pulmonary tuberculosis is admitted.
Which isolation category is required?