a-IPC Exam Study Guide (Practice Test
#1) Questions With (Complete)
Answers.
The bacterium most likely to be transmitted from mother to infant during labor and
cause neonatal sepsis is:
a. Escherichia coli
b. Staphylococcus aureus
c. Group B Streptococcus
d. Group A Streptococcus Answer- c. Group B Streptococcus
Which of the following is an example of the criterion of "Strength of the Association"
from Hill's criteria for causation?
a. In a study of the association between antibiotic exposure and development of C.
difficile infection, the odds ratio was 2:3
b. In a study of the association between antibiotic exposure and development of C.
difficile infection, the authors' conclusions are consistent with those of three other
studies
c. In a study of the association between antibiotic exposure and development of C.
difficile infection, antibiotic therapy began an average of 3 weeks before C. difficile
infection developed
d. In a study of the association between antibiotic exposure and development of C.
difficile infection, prolonged antibiotic therapy was a greater risk factor for C. difficile
infection than short-term antibiotic therapy Answer- a. In a study of the association
between antibiotic exposure and development of C. difficile infection, the odds ratio
was 2:3
Which of the following rules should be followed when collecting a stool sample for C.
difficile testing?
1) Stool sample should be freshly passed within 1-2 hours
2) 10-20mL. of formed stool should be collected
3) Stool should be passed into a clean, dry container
4) Specimens should be obtained before antimicrobial agents have been
administered
a. 1, 2
b. 2, 3
c. 1, 3
d. 1, 4 Answer- c. 1, 3
,What type of meningitis would be most consistent with the following cerebrospinal
fluid (CSF) report result:
Glucose= Decreased; Protein= Elevated; WBC counts= 1,000/mm3
a. Bacterial
b. Viral
c. Fungal
d. Tuberculosis Answer- a. Bacterial
The following blood culture result should be considered a potential contaminant:
a. A positive result of coagulase-negative staphylococci from two sets, 2 days apart,
without symptoms
b. A positive result of S. aureus from one bottle in a patient with a temperature of
38.6°C
c. A positive result of E. coli from one bottle in an afebrile patient with diarrhea
d. A positive result of Candida albicans in a fungal blood culture in a patient with a
urinary tract infection Answer- a. A positive result of coagulase-negative
staphylococci from two sets, 2 days apart, without symptoms
Which of the following organisms have been associated with the transmission of
infections after body piercing?
1) Atypical Mycobacterium species
2) Staphylococcus species
3) Pseudomonas species
4) Haemophilus species
a. 1, 2, 3
b. 2, 3, 4
c. 1, 3, 4
d. 1, 2, 4 Answer- a. 1, 2, 3
The Director of the Operating Room (OR) requests that the OR surfaces be routinely
environmentally cultured. The IP's best response should be:
a. A schedule for routine culturing of the OR should be arranged so that each room
is cultured at a set interval
b. Routine culturing of the OR should be done in the absence of any epidemiologic
investigations in that area
c. Routine culturing should not be done because it is too expensive
d. Routine environmental culturing should not be considered unless an epidemiologic
investigation is being conducted Answer- d. Routine environmental culturing should
not be considered unless an epidemiologic investigation is being conducted
All of the following may be indications of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
(HVAC) malfunction except:
a. An increase in the postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) rates
b. A single case of aspergillosis in a severely immunosuppressed patient
c. Healthcare-associated varicella infections
d. An outbreak of ventilator-associated Acinetobacter infections in the Intensive Care
Unit (ICU) Answer- d. An outbreak of ventilator-associated Acinetobacter infections
in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
, A patient who underwent intraocular surgery was diagnosed with a noninfectious
endopthalmitis after the procedure. The IP initiates an investigation to identify the
possible cause. Which of the following factors should be considered?
1) Improper handling, cleaning, and rinsing of the instruments
2) Improper labeling of the solutions
3) Gloves and powder
4) Prophylactic antibiotics administered 2 hours before the procedure
a. 1, 3
b. 1, 2
c. 3, 4
d. 2, 4 Answer- a. 1, 3
Sensitivity may be defined as:
a. The ability of a test to detect true positives (persons with the disease) when
applied to a population with the disease
b. The ability of a test to detect the true negatives (persons without the disease)
when applied to a population without the disease
c. The ability of a test to detect true positives (persons with disease) when applied to
a population without the disease
d. The percentage of persons with true positive results when the test is applied to
persons without the disease Answer- a. The ability of a test to detect true positives
(persons with the disease) when applied to a population with the disease
The IP is monitoring blood work in order to differentiate between bacterial or viral
infection in a newly admitted ICU patient. Which of the following components of a
complete blood count (CBC) should the IP examine in order to determine this
information?
a. Hematocrit
b. White blood cell count
c. Platelet (thrombocyte count)
d. Red blood cell indices Answer- b. White blood cell count
A nurse manager from a Rehabilitation Unit is requesting that aerators be installed
on the sinks in the patient rooms on her unit. The IP should explain that:
a. Aerators should be placed on all sinks in the ICU only
b. Aerators are more effective when combined with an ultraviolet water disinfection
method
c. Aerators increase the risk of HAIs
d. Low-flow aerators are suitable for use with this population Answer- c. Aerators
increase the risk of HAIs
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis is suspected in an oncology patient. Aerobic
eye cultures are negative to date. A single serum sample is sent for enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antibody testing. The following titers are reported:
HSV titer 1:128, cytomegalovirus (CMV) titer <1:8, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) titer
<1:8. These results indicate:
a. Immunity to HSV
b. Confirmation of acute HSV infection
c. Presumptive identification of HSV infection
d. Immunity to CMV and EBV Answer- c. Presumptive identification of HSV infection
#1) Questions With (Complete)
Answers.
The bacterium most likely to be transmitted from mother to infant during labor and
cause neonatal sepsis is:
a. Escherichia coli
b. Staphylococcus aureus
c. Group B Streptococcus
d. Group A Streptococcus Answer- c. Group B Streptococcus
Which of the following is an example of the criterion of "Strength of the Association"
from Hill's criteria for causation?
a. In a study of the association between antibiotic exposure and development of C.
difficile infection, the odds ratio was 2:3
b. In a study of the association between antibiotic exposure and development of C.
difficile infection, the authors' conclusions are consistent with those of three other
studies
c. In a study of the association between antibiotic exposure and development of C.
difficile infection, antibiotic therapy began an average of 3 weeks before C. difficile
infection developed
d. In a study of the association between antibiotic exposure and development of C.
difficile infection, prolonged antibiotic therapy was a greater risk factor for C. difficile
infection than short-term antibiotic therapy Answer- a. In a study of the association
between antibiotic exposure and development of C. difficile infection, the odds ratio
was 2:3
Which of the following rules should be followed when collecting a stool sample for C.
difficile testing?
1) Stool sample should be freshly passed within 1-2 hours
2) 10-20mL. of formed stool should be collected
3) Stool should be passed into a clean, dry container
4) Specimens should be obtained before antimicrobial agents have been
administered
a. 1, 2
b. 2, 3
c. 1, 3
d. 1, 4 Answer- c. 1, 3
,What type of meningitis would be most consistent with the following cerebrospinal
fluid (CSF) report result:
Glucose= Decreased; Protein= Elevated; WBC counts= 1,000/mm3
a. Bacterial
b. Viral
c. Fungal
d. Tuberculosis Answer- a. Bacterial
The following blood culture result should be considered a potential contaminant:
a. A positive result of coagulase-negative staphylococci from two sets, 2 days apart,
without symptoms
b. A positive result of S. aureus from one bottle in a patient with a temperature of
38.6°C
c. A positive result of E. coli from one bottle in an afebrile patient with diarrhea
d. A positive result of Candida albicans in a fungal blood culture in a patient with a
urinary tract infection Answer- a. A positive result of coagulase-negative
staphylococci from two sets, 2 days apart, without symptoms
Which of the following organisms have been associated with the transmission of
infections after body piercing?
1) Atypical Mycobacterium species
2) Staphylococcus species
3) Pseudomonas species
4) Haemophilus species
a. 1, 2, 3
b. 2, 3, 4
c. 1, 3, 4
d. 1, 2, 4 Answer- a. 1, 2, 3
The Director of the Operating Room (OR) requests that the OR surfaces be routinely
environmentally cultured. The IP's best response should be:
a. A schedule for routine culturing of the OR should be arranged so that each room
is cultured at a set interval
b. Routine culturing of the OR should be done in the absence of any epidemiologic
investigations in that area
c. Routine culturing should not be done because it is too expensive
d. Routine environmental culturing should not be considered unless an epidemiologic
investigation is being conducted Answer- d. Routine environmental culturing should
not be considered unless an epidemiologic investigation is being conducted
All of the following may be indications of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
(HVAC) malfunction except:
a. An increase in the postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) rates
b. A single case of aspergillosis in a severely immunosuppressed patient
c. Healthcare-associated varicella infections
d. An outbreak of ventilator-associated Acinetobacter infections in the Intensive Care
Unit (ICU) Answer- d. An outbreak of ventilator-associated Acinetobacter infections
in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
, A patient who underwent intraocular surgery was diagnosed with a noninfectious
endopthalmitis after the procedure. The IP initiates an investigation to identify the
possible cause. Which of the following factors should be considered?
1) Improper handling, cleaning, and rinsing of the instruments
2) Improper labeling of the solutions
3) Gloves and powder
4) Prophylactic antibiotics administered 2 hours before the procedure
a. 1, 3
b. 1, 2
c. 3, 4
d. 2, 4 Answer- a. 1, 3
Sensitivity may be defined as:
a. The ability of a test to detect true positives (persons with the disease) when
applied to a population with the disease
b. The ability of a test to detect the true negatives (persons without the disease)
when applied to a population without the disease
c. The ability of a test to detect true positives (persons with disease) when applied to
a population without the disease
d. The percentage of persons with true positive results when the test is applied to
persons without the disease Answer- a. The ability of a test to detect true positives
(persons with the disease) when applied to a population with the disease
The IP is monitoring blood work in order to differentiate between bacterial or viral
infection in a newly admitted ICU patient. Which of the following components of a
complete blood count (CBC) should the IP examine in order to determine this
information?
a. Hematocrit
b. White blood cell count
c. Platelet (thrombocyte count)
d. Red blood cell indices Answer- b. White blood cell count
A nurse manager from a Rehabilitation Unit is requesting that aerators be installed
on the sinks in the patient rooms on her unit. The IP should explain that:
a. Aerators should be placed on all sinks in the ICU only
b. Aerators are more effective when combined with an ultraviolet water disinfection
method
c. Aerators increase the risk of HAIs
d. Low-flow aerators are suitable for use with this population Answer- c. Aerators
increase the risk of HAIs
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis is suspected in an oncology patient. Aerobic
eye cultures are negative to date. A single serum sample is sent for enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antibody testing. The following titers are reported:
HSV titer 1:128, cytomegalovirus (CMV) titer <1:8, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) titer
<1:8. These results indicate:
a. Immunity to HSV
b. Confirmation of acute HSV infection
c. Presumptive identification of HSV infection
d. Immunity to CMV and EBV Answer- c. Presumptive identification of HSV infection
