Answer each of the
following questions (there is only one correct answer to each question).
1
Clients entering a healthcare setting are at risk of
acquiring infection because of:
A. their decreased resistance to disease
B. exposure to a variety of disease-causing organisms
C. the specific course of therapy they will receive
D. all of the above
2
The agency that gathers data on hospital acquired infections
and publishes guidelines for infection prevention and control is the:
A. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
B. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
C. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations
D. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
3
According to the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard,
potentially infectious materials include blood and all of the following except:
A. intact skin
B. amniotic fluid
C. organ cultures
D. semen
4
The underlying premise of the Universal Precautions
is that:
A. all blood, body fluids and tissues must be
handled as if they are infectious
B. all healthcare workers have the same risk
of acquiring infections
C. all exposure incidents must be thoroughly
investigated
D. all healthcare facilities should implement
the same infection control plan
5
The use of mechanical devices to reduce handling of
contaminated needles is an example of:
A. work practice guidelines
B. regulated waste
C. engineering controls
D. pre-exposure planning
6
The nurse can prevent an infection from spreading by:
A. using occlusive dressings
B. following facility policies for specimen collection
C. cleaning the workplace properly
D. all of the above
7
The presence of microorganisms in or on a host with
growth and multiplication but without tissue invasion or damage describes:
A. contamination
B. colonization
C. secondary infection
D. inoculation
8
Alcohol-based hand rubs can effectively be used:
A. to remove dirt from hands that are visibly
soiled
B. to increase the mechanical friction of plain
soap
C. in the absence of running water for handwashing
D. all of the above
9
Gloves are worn for all of the following reasons
except:
A. to reduce the nurse's exposure to bloodborne
pathogens
B. to minimize transmission of organisms from
the nurse to a patient during invasive procedures
C. to reduce transmission of infectious organisms
from one patient to another
D. to decrease the need for frequent handwashing
by healthcare workers
10
For procedures involving contact with mucous membranes,
the nurse should use:
A. sterile gloves
B. examination gloves
C. general-purpose utility gloves
D. any of the above
11
Cleaning agents designated as hospital grade detergents/disinfectants
must:
A. be free of harsh chemicals such as isopropyl
alcohol
B. be safe for use on patients' skin
C. contain appropriate concentrations of household
bleach
D. inactivate specific organisms such as streptococcus
12
Which one of the following should be used to decontaminate
spilled blood or body fluids?
A. a tuberculocidal agent or household bleach
B. hot water, followed by cold water
C. a diluted mixture of ammonia and lye
D. any antioxidant-based cleanser
13
According to Spaulding's classification system for sterilization
of patient care equipment, critical items include:
A. urinary catheters
B. hydrotherapy tanks
C. endoscopes
D. respiratory therapy equipment
14
It may be necessary to disinfect non-critical patient
care items such as blood pressure cuffs and bedpans before using them
for another patient if:
A. they require substantial cleaning before reprocessing
B. the previous patient was colonized with a
drug resistant organism
C. the items have been exposed to heat and moisture
during use
D. the manufacturer's instructions don't prohibit
it
15
In order to minimize contamination of medical supplies,
storage shelves should be:
A. six to eight inches from an outside wall
B. twelve inches up from the floor
C. no more than six inches from the ceiling
D. all of the above
16
What does the CDC recommend with regard to the recapping
of needles?
A. Recap immediately after use.
B. Recap immediately prior to disposal.
C. Do not recap with both hands.
D. Recap only with the aid of a helper.
17
According to the CDC, performance of exposure-prone
invasive procedures such as cardiac catheterization presents a recognized
risk of:
A. contact with colonized bacteria
B. inhalation of parainfluenza virus
C. splashing and spattering of body fluids
D. percutaneous injury
18
Which one of the following is true regarding
airborne transmission of infective agents?
A. Airborne transmission requires being in the
same room with the infected person.
B. Droplet nuclei can remain suspended in the
air for long periods of time.
C. Patient isolation is rarely required if facility
ventilation is adequate.
D. Airborne precautions supersede standard precautions
in dealing with transmission of tuberculosis.
19
Droplet precautions require:
A. special air handling and ventilation systems
B. strict isolation of the infected patient in
a private room
C. use of a surgical mask when within three feet
of the patient
D. gloves and gowns at all times
20
Patients known or suspected to be infected with MRSA
or VRE should be placed on:
A. airborne precautions
B. droplet precautions
C. contact precautions
D. A and C
21
Acute diarrhea with a likely infectious cause in an
incontinent patient requires:
A. airborne precautions
B. droplet precautions
C. contact precautions
D. B and C
22
Generalized vesicular rashes of unknown etiology require:
A. airborne precautions
B. droplet precautions
C. contact precautions
D. A and C
23
The most common chronic bloodborne infection in the
United States is:
A. HBV
B. HCV
C. HDV
D. HIV
24
The most efficient method of transmission of HDV is
through:
A. sexual contact
B. perinatal exposure
C. contaminated toothbrushes and razors
D. percutaneous exposure
25
Clinical signs of HIV infection may include all of
the following except:
A. lymphadenopathy
B. chronic diarrhea
C. weight gain
D. fatigue
26
The largest group of healthcare workers who have developed
HIV after an occupational exposure is comprised of:
A. nurses
B. physicians
C. laboratory technicians
D. housekeepers
27
The resurgence of tuberculosis in the United States
in the 1980s and early 1990s can be attributed in part to:
A. monitoring of drug resistance through the
national surveillance system
B. the HIV/AIDS epidemic
C. failures of early versions of TB vaccines
D. scarcity of medicines for TB control
28
Tuberculosis is spread primarily through:
A. contact with contaminated environmental surfaces
B. airborne particles from coughs or sneezes
of infected persons
C. exposure to blood and blood products that
contain the bacteria
D. all of the above
29
The class of diseases known as transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies (TSEs) includes all of the following except :
A. Creutzfeldt Jakob disease
B. mad cow disease
C. fatal familial insomnia
D. kwashiorkor
30
Bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics through
mechanisms that include:
A. mutation
B. expression of a latent gene
C. exchange of DNA with other bacteria
D. all of the above
31
Increased use of broad spectrum antibiotics and high
antibiotic usage in relatively small geographic areas is likely to result
in:
A. development of additional antibiotic resistant
organisms
B. reduction of the appearance of transient bacteria
in these areas
C. proliferation of resident flora such as e.
coli
D. enhanced control of staph infections in healthcare
settings
32
The practice of cohorting of patients requires that:
A. medical records note all previous hospital
admissions and outcomes
B. patients with the same diagnosis share a room
C. supplies used with these patients be destroyed
after use
D. visitation be curtailed for a specified incubation
period
33
The most frequent infections found in a long term care
setting involve the:
A. respiratory tract
B. gastrointestinal tract
C. urinary tract
D. skin and soft tissue
34
Infection control can be especially problematic in
the long term care setting due to all of the following factors except :
A. the degree of functional impairment of the
residents
B. the limited effectiveness of traditional infection
control measures
C. the likelihood that colonization of drug resistant
organisms has originated in this setting
D. the increasing admission of residents with
invasive devices such as feeding tubes
35
In general, infection control practices in the home
setting differ from those in hospitals and clinics in that home based
practices:
A. are based on sound research and extensive
research data
B. must take into consideration patients that
are much sicker and more frail
C. are more frequently adapted to the specific
needs of the individual patient
D. are less likely to have to deal with sanitation
and ventilation problems
36
Reduction of the risk for gastrointestinal infections
associated with enteral therapy in the home may require all of the following
except :
A. considerable patient and family teaching
B. emphasis on refrigeration of the feedings
C. demonstration of scrupulous cleaning of items
used in preparation
D. regular sterilization of kitchen appliances
and tools
37
Dialysis patients who are HBV susceptible, including
those who are non-responders to vaccine, should undergo HbsAg testing:
A. at each dialysis appointment
B. upon admission and monthly thereafter
C. semiannually
D. only when another patient with HBV is admitted
to the center
38
Dialysis center policies should require that vaccinations
against hepatitis B be administered to:
A. all dialysis patients
B. patients with anti-HBs >10 mIU/mL
C. patients with a history of hepatitis A
D. patients who are HIV positive
39
Infants and young children with parainfluenza viral
infections should be placed on:
A. standard precautions
B. isolation for 24 hours
C. droplet precautions until initiation of therapy
D. contact precautions for the duration of the
illness
40
Standard precautions are adequate for patients with
all of the following diseases except :
A. trench mouth
B. pediculosis
C. Rocky Mountain spotted fever
D. Legionnaires' disease
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