a-IPC Exam Study Guide (Practice Test
#2) Questions With Correct Solutions.
The infection preventionist (IP) on the Antimicrobial Stewardship Team is thinking of
ways that he can support efforts and add to the success of the team in decreasing
antimicrobial resistance. Some of the activities that he can do to help with the
mission of the team include:
1) Calculate multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) infection rates
2) Detect asymptomatic carriers using active surveillance cultures
3) Use molecular typing for investigating outbreaks
4) Collect environmental cultures of isolation rooms
a. 2, 3, 4
b. 1, 3, 4
c. 1, 2, 4
d. 1, 2, 3 Answer - d. 1, 2, 3
A classic sign of measles is:
a. Kaposi sarcoma
b. Stiff neck
c. Koplik spots
d. Bull's-eye rash Answer - c. Koplik spots
The IP has been notified that three patients with possible pneumonic plague have
been admitted to the Emergency Department. The IP recommends which of the
following strategies?
a. A surgical mask worn within 3 feet of patient, door may be open
b. Negative pressure isolation room with use of N95 respirators
c. Normal ventilation, but door must remain closed and N95 respirator mask worn
d. No masks are required, but patient must be placed in private room and contacts
should be treated for exposure Answer - a. A surgical mask worn within 3 feet of
patient, door may be open
Using the surgical risk index to stratify the identified infections for the previous
quarter, an IP would report which of the following case(s) as having a higher risk for
developing a surgical site infection (SSI)?
1) An 80-year-old male with poor circulation who develops a donor site infection after
a coronary artery bypass graft surgery that took 4 hours to perform
2) A 30-year-old female who has knee surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate
ligament (ACL) after a skiing accident
3) A 90-year-old female with insulin-dependent diabetes who has hip replacement
surgery that takes 2.5 hours to perform
,4) A 27-year-old male with Crohn's disease who has colon resection that takes more
than 4 hours to perform due to adhesions
a. 1, 2
b. 2, 3
c. 3, 4
d. 1, 4 Answer - c. 3, 4
A 47-year-old female bus driver is brought to the Emergency Department (ED) with a
two-day history of fever, shortness of breath, and chest pain. She is diaphoretic and
appears acutely ill. She is confused as to place and time. Temperature is 38°C
(100.4°F), blood pressure is 88/60 mm Hg, pulse rate is 110/min, and respiration rate
is 28/min. Coarse bronchial breath sounds are heard. She has had no recent known
contact with ill persons. The leukocyte count is 15,000/μL (15 × 109/L). A chest
radiograph shows a widened mediastinum and bilateral pleural effusions. Gram stain
of a peripheral blood smear shows box car-shaped Gram-positive bacilli. A
bioterrorism agent is suspected. Which of the following agents is most likely?
a. Typhus fever
b. Smallpox
c. Tularemia
d. Anthrax Answer - d. Anthrax
Phlebotomists within an organization are complaining that the new blood collection
device introduced 6 months ago is difficult to use for blood draws and has resulted in
an increase in needlestick injuries (NSIs). The IP is working with Occupational
Health to evaluate the problem and would like to compare NSI rates before and after
implementation of the device. Which of the following would be the most useful
denominator in order to calculate useful data?
a. Phlebotomist employee hours at work (full-time equivalents)
b. Number of occupied beds (or licensed beds)
c. Number of patients (average daily census)
d. Number of blood collection devices used or purchased Answer - d. Number of
blood collection devices used or purchased
Which of the following processes should be used for contaminated endotracheal
blades?
a. Cleaning followed by high-level disinfection
b. Cleaning with chlorhexidine followed by soaking in an enzymatic solution for 20
minutes
c. Cleaning followed by ultrasonic washer
d. Cleaning followed by alcohol disinfection Answer - a. Cleaning followed by high-
level disinfection
A new Environmental Services employee has been asked to clean up a large blood
spill on the floor in the OR. How should he proceed?
a. He should mix an EPA-registered disinfectant with water in a bucket and mop up
the spill
b. He should place absorbent material over the spill and pour the correct dilution of
disinfectant over the material for the recommended contact time
c. He should pour undiluted bleach directly on the blood spill, wait 10 minutes, and
then mop up the spill
, d. He should place absorbent material over the spill, dispose of the material after
absorption, and then mop the floor with an EPA-registered disinfectant Answer - b.
He should place absorbent material over the spill and pour the correct dilution of
disinfectant over the material for the recommended contact time
Which of the following statements is true regarding an asymptomatic employee with
a newly positive tuberculin skin test (TST) of 10 mm induration in a medium to high
risk setting?
1) The employee has latent tuberculosis (TB) infection
2) The employee is capable of transmitting TB to others
3) The employee is not infectious
4) The employee has TB disease
a. 3, 4
b. 2, 4
c. 1, 3
d. 1, 2 Answer - c. 1, 3
While rounding in an ambulatory care center, an IP discovers that healthcare
personnel (HCP) have been using single-dose vials (SDVs) of lidocaine for multiple
patients. She informs the clinic manager that the practice must end immediately.
Which of the following statements about SDVs should the IP include in her
explanation to the clinic manager?
1) SDVs lack antimicrobial preservatives
2) Inappropriate use of SDVs can lead to contamination
3) A needleless access device (spike) must be applied when reusing an SDV
4) All medications from an SDV must be prepared in a pharmacy
a. 1, 2
b. 2, 3
c. 3, 4
d. 2, 4 Answer - a. 1, 2
A patient is admitted with measles and placed on Airborne Isolation. How many days
after symptom onset would the characteristic blotchy red rash appear?
a. On days 1-2
b. On days 7-10
c. On days 3-7
d. On days 21-25 Answer - c. On days 3-7
The annual education budget for the Infection Prevention Department is $1,650.00.
In October, the Infection Prevention Manager allocated 20 percent of the department
education budget towards resources for the annual flu shot program. However, in
November, the financial report indicates that only 15 percent was spent. How much
of the budgeted amount remains unspent?
a. $330.00
b. $247.50
c. $82.50
d. $66.00 Answer - c. $82.50
An IP is assisting local public health with a Hepatitis A outbreak in the community.
She has been asked to contact the Health Department with any patients who are
#2) Questions With Correct Solutions.
The infection preventionist (IP) on the Antimicrobial Stewardship Team is thinking of
ways that he can support efforts and add to the success of the team in decreasing
antimicrobial resistance. Some of the activities that he can do to help with the
mission of the team include:
1) Calculate multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) infection rates
2) Detect asymptomatic carriers using active surveillance cultures
3) Use molecular typing for investigating outbreaks
4) Collect environmental cultures of isolation rooms
a. 2, 3, 4
b. 1, 3, 4
c. 1, 2, 4
d. 1, 2, 3 Answer - d. 1, 2, 3
A classic sign of measles is:
a. Kaposi sarcoma
b. Stiff neck
c. Koplik spots
d. Bull's-eye rash Answer - c. Koplik spots
The IP has been notified that three patients with possible pneumonic plague have
been admitted to the Emergency Department. The IP recommends which of the
following strategies?
a. A surgical mask worn within 3 feet of patient, door may be open
b. Negative pressure isolation room with use of N95 respirators
c. Normal ventilation, but door must remain closed and N95 respirator mask worn
d. No masks are required, but patient must be placed in private room and contacts
should be treated for exposure Answer - a. A surgical mask worn within 3 feet of
patient, door may be open
Using the surgical risk index to stratify the identified infections for the previous
quarter, an IP would report which of the following case(s) as having a higher risk for
developing a surgical site infection (SSI)?
1) An 80-year-old male with poor circulation who develops a donor site infection after
a coronary artery bypass graft surgery that took 4 hours to perform
2) A 30-year-old female who has knee surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate
ligament (ACL) after a skiing accident
3) A 90-year-old female with insulin-dependent diabetes who has hip replacement
surgery that takes 2.5 hours to perform
,4) A 27-year-old male with Crohn's disease who has colon resection that takes more
than 4 hours to perform due to adhesions
a. 1, 2
b. 2, 3
c. 3, 4
d. 1, 4 Answer - c. 3, 4
A 47-year-old female bus driver is brought to the Emergency Department (ED) with a
two-day history of fever, shortness of breath, and chest pain. She is diaphoretic and
appears acutely ill. She is confused as to place and time. Temperature is 38°C
(100.4°F), blood pressure is 88/60 mm Hg, pulse rate is 110/min, and respiration rate
is 28/min. Coarse bronchial breath sounds are heard. She has had no recent known
contact with ill persons. The leukocyte count is 15,000/μL (15 × 109/L). A chest
radiograph shows a widened mediastinum and bilateral pleural effusions. Gram stain
of a peripheral blood smear shows box car-shaped Gram-positive bacilli. A
bioterrorism agent is suspected. Which of the following agents is most likely?
a. Typhus fever
b. Smallpox
c. Tularemia
d. Anthrax Answer - d. Anthrax
Phlebotomists within an organization are complaining that the new blood collection
device introduced 6 months ago is difficult to use for blood draws and has resulted in
an increase in needlestick injuries (NSIs). The IP is working with Occupational
Health to evaluate the problem and would like to compare NSI rates before and after
implementation of the device. Which of the following would be the most useful
denominator in order to calculate useful data?
a. Phlebotomist employee hours at work (full-time equivalents)
b. Number of occupied beds (or licensed beds)
c. Number of patients (average daily census)
d. Number of blood collection devices used or purchased Answer - d. Number of
blood collection devices used or purchased
Which of the following processes should be used for contaminated endotracheal
blades?
a. Cleaning followed by high-level disinfection
b. Cleaning with chlorhexidine followed by soaking in an enzymatic solution for 20
minutes
c. Cleaning followed by ultrasonic washer
d. Cleaning followed by alcohol disinfection Answer - a. Cleaning followed by high-
level disinfection
A new Environmental Services employee has been asked to clean up a large blood
spill on the floor in the OR. How should he proceed?
a. He should mix an EPA-registered disinfectant with water in a bucket and mop up
the spill
b. He should place absorbent material over the spill and pour the correct dilution of
disinfectant over the material for the recommended contact time
c. He should pour undiluted bleach directly on the blood spill, wait 10 minutes, and
then mop up the spill
, d. He should place absorbent material over the spill, dispose of the material after
absorption, and then mop the floor with an EPA-registered disinfectant Answer - b.
He should place absorbent material over the spill and pour the correct dilution of
disinfectant over the material for the recommended contact time
Which of the following statements is true regarding an asymptomatic employee with
a newly positive tuberculin skin test (TST) of 10 mm induration in a medium to high
risk setting?
1) The employee has latent tuberculosis (TB) infection
2) The employee is capable of transmitting TB to others
3) The employee is not infectious
4) The employee has TB disease
a. 3, 4
b. 2, 4
c. 1, 3
d. 1, 2 Answer - c. 1, 3
While rounding in an ambulatory care center, an IP discovers that healthcare
personnel (HCP) have been using single-dose vials (SDVs) of lidocaine for multiple
patients. She informs the clinic manager that the practice must end immediately.
Which of the following statements about SDVs should the IP include in her
explanation to the clinic manager?
1) SDVs lack antimicrobial preservatives
2) Inappropriate use of SDVs can lead to contamination
3) A needleless access device (spike) must be applied when reusing an SDV
4) All medications from an SDV must be prepared in a pharmacy
a. 1, 2
b. 2, 3
c. 3, 4
d. 2, 4 Answer - a. 1, 2
A patient is admitted with measles and placed on Airborne Isolation. How many days
after symptom onset would the characteristic blotchy red rash appear?
a. On days 1-2
b. On days 7-10
c. On days 3-7
d. On days 21-25 Answer - c. On days 3-7
The annual education budget for the Infection Prevention Department is $1,650.00.
In October, the Infection Prevention Manager allocated 20 percent of the department
education budget towards resources for the annual flu shot program. However, in
November, the financial report indicates that only 15 percent was spent. How much
of the budgeted amount remains unspent?
a. $330.00
b. $247.50
c. $82.50
d. $66.00 Answer - c. $82.50
An IP is assisting local public health with a Hepatitis A outbreak in the community.
She has been asked to contact the Health Department with any patients who are
