Safety and Infection Control Flashcards
7 cards from real Phlebotomy Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Safety and Infection Control flashcards as text
Which of the following is an example of an engineering control used to prevent needlestick injuries in phlebotomy?
Answer: Using a self-sheathing safety needle
A self-sheathing safety needle is an engineering control—a device designed to isolate or remove the hazard from the worker.
What is the primary purpose of the Exposure Control Plan mandated by OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard?
Answer: To eliminate or minimize employee exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials
The Exposure Control Plan is a written document outlining procedures to eliminate or minimize occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
A patient in respiratory isolation sneezes directly toward the phlebotomist who is not wearing a mask. Which link in the chain of infection has been exploited?
Answer: Mode of transmission
The sneeze represents the mode of transmission—the mechanism by which the pathogen traveled from the source to the potential host.
Which vaccine is offered free of charge to all employees with potential occupational exposure to blood under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard?
Answer: Hepatitis B vaccine
OSHA requires employers to offer the hepatitis B vaccine series at no cost to all employees with occupational exposure risk.
When labeling a blood specimen tube, which piece of information is NOT typically required on the tube label?
Answer: Patient's insurance information
Insurance information is an administrative/billing detail and is not required on the specimen label itself; specimen labels require patient identifiers, collection time, and collector ID.
Which of the following correctly describes 'reverse isolation' (protective isolation)?
Answer: Protecting an immunocompromised patient from infectious agents in the environment
Reverse isolation protects severely immunocompromised patients (e.g., transplant recipients) from environmental pathogens rather than protecting others from the patient.
After completing a blood draw, the phlebotomist removes gloves and performs hand hygiene. According to CDC guidelines, which hand hygiene agent is preferred when hands are NOT visibly soiled?
Answer: Alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR)
CDC guidelines prefer alcohol-based hand rub when hands are not visibly soiled because it is faster, more effective against most pathogens, and less drying than repeated handwashing.