SCMA Infection Control and Safety 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the single most effective method of preventing the spread of infection in a medical setting?
- Wearing sterile gloves at all times
- Performing proper hand hygiene (Correct answer)
- Using surgical masks routinely
- Disinfecting all surfaces hourly
Correct answer: Performing proper hand hygiene
Hand hygiene is the #1 method recommended by the CDC and WHO for preventing the spread of infection in healthcare settings.
Question 2: Which category of transmission-based precautions is required for a patient diagnosed with active tuberculosis (TB)?
- Contact precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Airborne precautions (Correct answer)
- Standard precautions only
Correct answer: Airborne precautions
Tuberculosis is spread via airborne droplet nuclei that remain suspended in air, requiring airborne precautions including an N95 respirator and negative-pressure room.
Question 3: The CDC recommends that hand washing with soap and water should last at least how many seconds?
- 10 seconds
- 15 seconds
- 20 seconds (Correct answer)
- 30 seconds
Correct answer: 20 seconds
The CDC recommends scrubbing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water to effectively remove pathogens.
Question 4: Which of the following is the correct practice for sharps disposal in a medical office?
- Fill the sharps container completely before disposing
- Recap needles carefully before placing them in the container
- Dispose of sharps immediately after use without recapping (Correct answer)
- Empty and reuse sharps containers to save costs
Correct answer: Dispose of sharps immediately after use without recapping
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard requires that needles never be recapped and must be disposed of immediately into a puncture-resistant sharps container to prevent needlestick injuries.
Question 5: What term describes microorganisms capable of causing disease in a host?
- Commensal organisms
- Normal flora
- Pathogens (Correct answer)
- Saprophytes
Correct answer: Pathogens
Pathogens are microorganisms—such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites—that are capable of causing disease in a susceptible host.
Question 6: A patient has a wound infected with C. difficile. Which type of precaution should be implemented?
- Airborne precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Contact precautions (Correct answer)
- Standard precautions only
Correct answer: Contact precautions
Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) is transmitted via the fecal-oral route through direct or indirect contact with contaminated surfaces, requiring contact precautions including gown and gloves.
Question 7: Which of the following correctly describes the biohazard symbol's purpose in a medical office?
- It marks items that require refrigeration
- It identifies materials that contain or are contaminated with infectious agents (Correct answer)
- It indicates flammable or chemically hazardous materials
- It labels items that must be autoclaved before disposal
Correct answer: It identifies materials that contain or are contaminated with infectious agents
The biohazard symbol is used to warn that a substance or container may contain biological materials that pose a threat to health, such as blood, body fluids, or cultures.
SCMA Infection Control and Safety 1
What is the single most effective method of preventing the spread of infection in a medical setting?