Infection Control Flashcards
7 cards from real RNC-NIC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Infection Control flashcards as text
A preterm neonate at 30 weeks gestation requires TPN through a PICC line. The nurse notices the insertion site is red, warm, and has purulent discharge. What is the FIRST nursing action?
Answer: Notify the physician, obtain blood cultures, and prepare for line removal
Signs of local infection at a PICC site with systemic risk require immediate provider notification, blood cultures before antibiotics, and likely line removal to prevent bacteremia.
Which laboratory finding is MOST consistent with bacterial sepsis in a neonate?
Answer: Immature-to-total neutrophil ratio (I:T ratio) greater than 0.2
An elevated I:T ratio greater than 0.2 indicates a left shift with immature neutrophils released in response to bacterial infection and is a sensitive marker for neonatal sepsis.
During an outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae in the NICU, which environmental control measure is MOST important to implement?
Answer: Perform enhanced environmental cleaning with EPA-approved disinfectants and cohort affected neonates
Cohorting infected neonates, enhanced environmental disinfection, and strict contact precautions are the cornerstone of NICU outbreak management for gram-negative organisms.
A nurse is caring for a neonate with suspected meningitis. Which assessment finding would MOST likely be present in a neonate with bacterial meningitis rather than viral meningitis?
Answer: CSF glucose less than 40 mg/dL with CSF protein greater than 150 mg/dL
Bacterial meningitis in neonates typically produces low CSF glucose (bacteria consume it) and elevated protein, distinguishing it from viral meningitis.
Which intervention is part of the evidence-based 'PICC bundle' to prevent CLABSI in the NICU?
Answer: Scrubbing the hub with antiseptic for at least 15 seconds before each access ('scrub the hub')
The 'scrub the hub' technique with 70% alcohol or chlorhexidine-alcohol for 15 seconds before each access is a critical CLABSI bundle element that reduces intraluminal contamination.
A neonate at 26 weeks gestation is prescribed fluconazole prophylaxis. What is the PRIMARY indication for antifungal prophylaxis in this population?
Answer: Prevention of invasive fungal infection in VLBW neonates in units with high invasive candidiasis rates
Fluconazole prophylaxis is recommended in NICUs with high invasive candidiasis rates for VLBW neonates to prevent candidemia and its associated morbidity.
Which finding on a neonate's skin assessment should alert the NICU nurse to potential disseminated HSV infection?
Answer: Vesicular lesions on the scalp, face, or around the eyes
Vesicular lesions on the scalp, face, or periorbital area in a neonate are classic cutaneous manifestations of HSV that may indicate disseminated or CNS infection.