NPS Infection Prevention and Control 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the most common route of transmission for healthcare-associated infections in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)?
- Airborne transmission via respiratory particles
- Contact transmission via contaminated healthcare worker hands (Correct answer)
- Droplet transmission from coughing staff
- Vector-borne transmission via insects
Correct answer: Contact transmission via contaminated healthcare worker hands
Contact transmission via contaminated healthcare worker hands is the predominant route of HAI spread in the NICU, making hand hygiene the single most important prevention measure.
Question 2: Which hand hygiene method is most effective for removing Clostridioides difficile spores from healthcare workers' hands?
- Alcohol-based hand rub for 20 seconds
- Chlorhexidine gluconate scrub for 30 seconds
- Soap and water with vigorous mechanical friction (Correct answer)
- Quaternary ammonium compound wipe
Correct answer: Soap and water with vigorous mechanical friction
Alcohol-based hand rubs are ineffective against C. difficile spores; soap and water with mechanical friction physically removes spores from the skin surface.
Question 3: Late-onset sepsis in premature neonates is most commonly caused by which organism?
- Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Strep)
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) (Correct answer)
- Haemophilus influenzae
Correct answer: Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS)
Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, particularly S. epidermidis, is the leading cause of late-onset sepsis in premature neonates, largely due to its ability to form biofilms on central venous catheters.
Question 4: When caring for a neonate colonized with MRSA, which personal protective equipment (PPE) is required for contact precautions?
- N95 respirator and gloves only
- Gown and gloves (Correct answer)
- Full face shield, gown, and gloves
- Gloves only
Correct answer: Gown and gloves
Standard contact precautions for MRSA require a gown and gloves to prevent direct and indirect skin-to-skin transmission to healthcare workers and other patients.
Question 5: A neonate is confirmed to have RSV bronchiolitis. What isolation precautions should be implemented?
- Airborne precautions with N95 respirator
- Droplet precautions only
- Contact precautions only
- Contact and droplet precautions combined (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Contact and droplet precautions combined
RSV is transmitted by both large respiratory droplets and direct or indirect contact, requiring combined contact and droplet precautions to prevent spread.
Question 6: Which pathogen is most commonly identified in NICU central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI)?
- Escherichia coli
- Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (Correct answer)
- Candida albicans
Correct answer: Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus
Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus is the most frequently isolated CLABSI pathogen in the NICU due to its ability to adhere and form biofilms on catheter surfaces.
Question 7: According to the WHO 'Five Moments for Hand Hygiene,' at which moments must hand hygiene be performed?
- Before and after patient contact only
- Before aseptic procedures and after body fluid exposure only
- Before patient contact, before aseptic procedures, after body fluid exposure, after patient contact, and after contact with patient surroundings (Correct answer)
- At the start and end of each shift only
Correct answer: Before patient contact, before aseptic procedures, after body fluid exposure, after patient contact, and after contact with patient surroundings
The WHO Five Moments framework identifies all five critical points in patient care that require hand hygiene to comprehensively prevent pathogen transmission.
NPS Infection Prevention and Control 1
What is the most common route of transmission for healthcare-associated infections in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)?