MS Safety & Infection Control 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the acronym RACE stand for in fire emergency protocols?
- Run, Alert, Call, Evacuate
- Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish (Correct answer)
- React, Activate, Control, Exit
- Remove, Assess, Contain, Evacuate
Correct answer: Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish
RACE stands for Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish—the sequential steps for responding to a fire in a healthcare setting.
Question 2: A patient's chart shows 'MRSA colonization.' What precaution level should be documented?
- Airborne precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Contact precautions (Correct answer)
- No additional precautions
Correct answer: Contact precautions
MRSA colonization or infection requires contact precautions because MRSA is transmitted through direct contact with the patient or contaminated surfaces.
Question 3: Which type of PPE must be removed LAST when doffing after caring for an Ebola patient?
- Gown
- Outer gloves
- Face shield (Correct answer)
- Hood or headcover
Correct answer: Face shield
The face shield or goggles are removed last (before final hand hygiene) to protect mucous membranes until all other contaminated PPE is removed.
Question 4: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) caused by improper IV line care most commonly result in which type of infection?
- Surgical site infection
- Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) (Correct answer)
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)
- Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)
Correct answer: Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI)
Improper IV line care—such as failure to maintain sterile technique during insertion or dressing changes—most directly causes CLABSIs.
Question 5: A scribe is asked to document a surgical time-out. What is the PRIMARY purpose of the time-out?
- To allow the surgical team to rest before a long procedure
- To verify patient identity, procedure, and site before incision (Correct answer)
- To confirm billing codes are accurate
- To review the patient's insurance coverage
Correct answer: To verify patient identity, procedure, and site before incision
The surgical time-out is a Joint Commission-mandated safety pause to confirm the correct patient, correct procedure, and correct surgical site before the first incision.
Question 6: Which disinfection level is required for semicritical medical instruments such as endoscopes?
- Low-level disinfection
- Intermediate-level disinfection
- High-level disinfection (Correct answer)
- Sterilization
Correct answer: High-level disinfection
Semicritical items that contact mucous membranes require high-level disinfection to eliminate all microorganisms except high numbers of bacterial spores.
Question 7: Under the Universal Protocol, a 'wrong-site' marking should be made by whom?
- The circulating nurse
- The anesthesiologist
- The surgeon or proceduralist performing the procedure (Correct answer)
- The medical scribe documenting the case
Correct answer: The surgeon or proceduralist performing the procedure
The Joint Commission requires the surgeon or proceduralist who will perform the procedure to mark the operative site to prevent wrong-site surgery.
MS Safety & Infection Control 3
What does the acronym RACE stand for in fire emergency protocols?