Infection Control and Safety Flashcards

A phlebotomist is preparing to draw blood from a patient in contact isolation. Which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential to wear before entering the room?

Answer: Gown and gloves

Contact precautions are required for patients with infections that spread through direct or indirect contact. This requires the healthcare worker to wear a gown and gloves to prevent the transmission of germs from the patient or their environment. An N95 respirator is for airborne precautions, a surgical mask for droplet precautions, and shoe/hair covers are not typically required for standard contact isolation.

What is the very first step a phlebotomist should take immediately following an accidental needlestick injury with a contaminated needle?

Answer: Wash the puncture site with soap and water.

The immediate priority after a needlestick injury is to decontaminate the area to reduce the risk of pathogen transmission. The wound should be thoroughly washed with soap and water. Reporting the incident, identifying the source patient, and seeking medical evaluation for PEP are all crucial subsequent steps, but washing the site is the first action to perform.

According to CLSI guidelines, which of the following represents the correct order of draw when collecting multiple tubes?

Answer: Blood culture, Coagulation tube, Serum tube, EDTA tube

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommends a specific order of draw to prevent cross-contamination of additives between tubes. The correct sequence starts with blood culture tubes (sterile), followed by coagulation tubes (e.g., light blue top), then serum tubes (with or without clot activator/gel), and then tubes with other additives like heparin (green) and EDTA (lavender).

A phlebotomist needs to dispose of a used needle and tube holder assembly after a venipuncture. Which of the following actions is compliant with OSHA standards?

Answer: Dispose of the entire needle and holder assembly as a single unit into a sharps container.

OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard requires that contaminated needles not be recapped, bent, or removed from disposable syringes. The entire needle and tube holder assembly must be disposed of as a single unit immediately after use into a puncture-resistant, labeled, and leak-proof sharps container to prevent needlestick injuries.

Which link in the chain of infection is broken when a phlebotomist performs proper hand hygiene between patients?

Answer: Mode of Transmission

The chain of infection consists of six links: the infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host. Proper hand hygiene is the single most effective way to break the chain of infection by interrupting the mode of transmission, which prevents pathogens from moving from the phlebotomist's hands (a potential vehicle) to the next patient.

When drawing blood for a patient with suspected tuberculosis, which type of isolation precaution requires the use of a fitted N95 respirator?

Answer: Airborne Precautions

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease spread through small particles that can remain suspended in the air for long periods. Therefore, Airborne Precautions are required. This level of precaution necessitates the use of a specially fitted N95 respirator to protect the healthcare worker from inhaling these infectious particles.