NCCT Infection Control and OSHA Standards 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Standard Precautions apply to:
- Only patients known to have infectious diseases
- Blood, body fluids, and non-intact skin of ALL patients (Correct answer)
- Only airborne pathogens
- Only HIV-positive patients
Correct answer: Blood, body fluids, and non-intact skin of ALL patients
Standard Precautions treat all blood, body fluids, and non-intact skin as potentially infectious, regardless of patient diagnosis.
Question 2: When must healthcare workers perform hand hygiene according to CDC guidelines?
- Only before invasive procedures
- Before and after every patient contact (Correct answer)
- Only when gloves are not worn
- Only after touching bodily fluids
Correct answer: Before and after every patient contact
The CDC recommends hand hygiene before and after every patient contact to prevent transmission of pathogens.
Question 3: Which type of PPE is required when caring for a patient on droplet precautions?
- N95 respirator
- Surgical mask (Correct answer)
- Full face shield only
- No PPE needed
Correct answer: Surgical mask
Droplet precautions require a surgical mask when within 3 feet of the patient, as droplets do not remain airborne.
Question 4: Which microorganism requires airborne precautions (N95 respirator)?
- MRSA
- Clostridium difficile
- Influenza
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis spreads via small airborne particles that remain suspended in air, requiring N95 respirators.
Question 5: The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires that sharps containers be replaced when:
- Completely full
- Three-quarters full (Correct answer)
- Half full
- After each use
Correct answer: Three-quarters full
Sharps containers must be sealed and replaced when they are three-quarters full to prevent needlestick injuries.
Question 6: Which disinfection level is required for semicritical items (e.g., respiratory therapy equipment)?
- 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 kill all microorganisms except bacterial spores.
NCCT Infection Control and OSHA Standards 1
Standard Precautions apply to: