OTD 316 Midterm exam ACTUAL
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Definition:
Define the following terms:
- Clean
- Soiled
- Nosocomial infection
- Standard precautions - CORRECT ANSWER Clean: A state of minimized infectious
organisms.
Soiled: Indicates possible exposure to pathogens.
Nosocomial infection: Infections acquired in a hospital setting.
Standard precautions: Infection control practices used with all patients in all healthcare settings.
These assume that open skin, mucous membranes, and body fluids are potential sources of
infection.
Definition:
Explain direct contact - CORRECT ANSWER Person-to-person transmission.
Definition:
Explain indirect contact - CORRECT ANSWER Transmission through an object (person-
to-object-to-person).
,Definition:
Explain droplet transmission - CORRECT ANSWER Occurs when droplets from
coughing, talking, or sneezing come into contact with a host's mucous membranes or
conjunctivae (travel around 3 feet).
Definition:
Explain airborne transmission - CORRECT ANSWER Infectious particles suspended in
the air, potentially traveling long distances and being inhaled by or deposited on a host.
Question:
What are healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), and why are they more likely to occur with
invasive patient care? - CORRECT ANSWER HAIs are infections acquired during the
course of receiving healthcare. They increase with invasive procedures because these procedures
breach normal body defenses, and they occur more often with frequent contact or in patients with
compromised immune systems.
Question:
What is the correct order of the chain of infection? - CORRECT ANSWER Infectious
agent > Reservoir > Portal of exit > Mode of transmission > Portal of entry > Susceptible host.
Question: What is the most effective method of hand hygiene in preventing infection according
to standard precautions? - CORRECT ANSWER The most effective method is alcohol-
based hand rub, but soap and water should be used when hands are visibly soiled or in cases
involving pathogens like C. diff.
Scenario: A patient in your care has been diagnosed with Clostridium difficile (C. diff). What
specific precautions should you take to prevent the spread of this infection? - CORRECT
ANSWER Use gloves and gown when entering the patient's room.
,Perform hand hygiene with soap and water (not alcohol-based sanitizer) when exiting the room,
as alcohol-based hand rub is not effective against C. diff spores.
Scenario: A patient is in a negative airflow room due to tuberculosis (TB). Describe the
precautions you must follow when entering and exiting the room. - CORRECT ANSWER
Wear a gown, gloves, a respirator, and eye protection.
Ensure the patient remains in the negative airflow room to prevent airborne particles from
escaping.
If the patient leaves the room, ensure they wear a mask to minimize the risk of spreading
infection.
Scenario: While treating a patient, you notice they have an open wound. Based on standard
precautions, what should you assume about the wound, and how should you proceed to minimize
infection risk? - CORRECT ANSWER Assume the wound is a potential source of
infection. You should wear gloves and consider other barriers (like a gown) if contact with body
fluids or mucous membranes is likely. Perform hand hygiene before and after contact.
Scenario: You are working in a hospital that recently had an outbreak of multidrug-resistant
organisms (MDROs). What precautions should you implement when interacting with patients,
and how does this differ from standard precautions? - CORRECT ANSWER Implement
contact precautions by wearing gown and gloves when entering patient rooms. These precautions
are more stringent than standard precautions and are designed to prevent the spread of MDROs.
Extra emphasis should be placed on cleaning and disinfecting equipment and surfaces that could
be contaminated.
Scenario: A nurse accidentally drops a used syringe on the floor of a patient's room. What steps
should be taken to safely dispose of the syringe and ensure the environment is clean? -
CORRECT ANSWER Put on gloves.
Pick up the syringe carefully and dispose of it in a sharps disposal container.
Perform hand hygiene after disposing of the syringe.
Clean and disinfect the area where the syringe was dropped to minimize the risk of
contamination.
True/False:
, Droplet precautions are required for all patients who are coughing, talking, or sneezing, even if
they are not suspected of having a communicable disease. - CORRECT ANSWER False.
(Droplet precautions are only required when a patient is known or suspected to have a
communicable disease that spreads via droplets_.
Multiple choice:
A healthcare worker needs to perform hand hygiene after leaving a room with a patient under
enteric precautions. What method of hand hygiene should they use?
A) Alcohol-based hand rub
B) Soap and water
C) Antimicrobial soap - CORRECT ANSWER B) Soap and water (for enteric pathogens
like C. diff, soap and water is required).
Question:
A patient has been admitted to a hospital and is severely immunocompromised. What additional
protective precautions should be in place to ensure their safety? - CORRECT ANSWER -
The patient should be placed in a private room with HEPA air filtration.
- Surfaces should be scrubbable.
- Limit visitors, and ensure all visitors and staff use appropriate PPE (mask and gloves).
- No fresh fruits or vegetables should be allowed in the room.
- The patient should wear a mask and gloves when outside of their room.
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Definition:
Define the following terms:
- Clean
- Soiled
- Nosocomial infection
- Standard precautions - CORRECT ANSWER Clean: A state of minimized infectious
organisms.
Soiled: Indicates possible exposure to pathogens.
Nosocomial infection: Infections acquired in a hospital setting.
Standard precautions: Infection control practices used with all patients in all healthcare settings.
These assume that open skin, mucous membranes, and body fluids are potential sources of
infection.
Definition:
Explain direct contact - CORRECT ANSWER Person-to-person transmission.
Definition:
Explain indirect contact - CORRECT ANSWER Transmission through an object (person-
to-object-to-person).
,Definition:
Explain droplet transmission - CORRECT ANSWER Occurs when droplets from
coughing, talking, or sneezing come into contact with a host's mucous membranes or
conjunctivae (travel around 3 feet).
Definition:
Explain airborne transmission - CORRECT ANSWER Infectious particles suspended in
the air, potentially traveling long distances and being inhaled by or deposited on a host.
Question:
What are healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), and why are they more likely to occur with
invasive patient care? - CORRECT ANSWER HAIs are infections acquired during the
course of receiving healthcare. They increase with invasive procedures because these procedures
breach normal body defenses, and they occur more often with frequent contact or in patients with
compromised immune systems.
Question:
What is the correct order of the chain of infection? - CORRECT ANSWER Infectious
agent > Reservoir > Portal of exit > Mode of transmission > Portal of entry > Susceptible host.
Question: What is the most effective method of hand hygiene in preventing infection according
to standard precautions? - CORRECT ANSWER The most effective method is alcohol-
based hand rub, but soap and water should be used when hands are visibly soiled or in cases
involving pathogens like C. diff.
Scenario: A patient in your care has been diagnosed with Clostridium difficile (C. diff). What
specific precautions should you take to prevent the spread of this infection? - CORRECT
ANSWER Use gloves and gown when entering the patient's room.
,Perform hand hygiene with soap and water (not alcohol-based sanitizer) when exiting the room,
as alcohol-based hand rub is not effective against C. diff spores.
Scenario: A patient is in a negative airflow room due to tuberculosis (TB). Describe the
precautions you must follow when entering and exiting the room. - CORRECT ANSWER
Wear a gown, gloves, a respirator, and eye protection.
Ensure the patient remains in the negative airflow room to prevent airborne particles from
escaping.
If the patient leaves the room, ensure they wear a mask to minimize the risk of spreading
infection.
Scenario: While treating a patient, you notice they have an open wound. Based on standard
precautions, what should you assume about the wound, and how should you proceed to minimize
infection risk? - CORRECT ANSWER Assume the wound is a potential source of
infection. You should wear gloves and consider other barriers (like a gown) if contact with body
fluids or mucous membranes is likely. Perform hand hygiene before and after contact.
Scenario: You are working in a hospital that recently had an outbreak of multidrug-resistant
organisms (MDROs). What precautions should you implement when interacting with patients,
and how does this differ from standard precautions? - CORRECT ANSWER Implement
contact precautions by wearing gown and gloves when entering patient rooms. These precautions
are more stringent than standard precautions and are designed to prevent the spread of MDROs.
Extra emphasis should be placed on cleaning and disinfecting equipment and surfaces that could
be contaminated.
Scenario: A nurse accidentally drops a used syringe on the floor of a patient's room. What steps
should be taken to safely dispose of the syringe and ensure the environment is clean? -
CORRECT ANSWER Put on gloves.
Pick up the syringe carefully and dispose of it in a sharps disposal container.
Perform hand hygiene after disposing of the syringe.
Clean and disinfect the area where the syringe was dropped to minimize the risk of
contamination.
True/False:
, Droplet precautions are required for all patients who are coughing, talking, or sneezing, even if
they are not suspected of having a communicable disease. - CORRECT ANSWER False.
(Droplet precautions are only required when a patient is known or suspected to have a
communicable disease that spreads via droplets_.
Multiple choice:
A healthcare worker needs to perform hand hygiene after leaving a room with a patient under
enteric precautions. What method of hand hygiene should they use?
A) Alcohol-based hand rub
B) Soap and water
C) Antimicrobial soap - CORRECT ANSWER B) Soap and water (for enteric pathogens
like C. diff, soap and water is required).
Question:
A patient has been admitted to a hospital and is severely immunocompromised. What additional
protective precautions should be in place to ensure their safety? - CORRECT ANSWER -
The patient should be placed in a private room with HEPA air filtration.
- Surfaces should be scrubbable.
- Limit visitors, and ensure all visitors and staff use appropriate PPE (mask and gloves).
- No fresh fruits or vegetables should be allowed in the room.
- The patient should wear a mask and gloves when outside of their room.
