Microbiology And Decontamination
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It’s fair to say that the scariest organism as a person can come up against face-to-face is probably a shark or a bear, but sometimes you’ll find that the creatures you can’t see are often the most dangerous. In the following quiz on the study of microbiology, we’ll be taking a look at those such microorganisms and seeing if you know the facts about decontamination as well as you should.
- 1.About how many people die each year in the United States from hospital-acquired infections (HAIs)?
- A.
90,000
- B.
250,000
- C.
5,000
- D.
25,000
- 2.Approximately what percent of patients receiving mechanical ventilation develop pneumonia as a complication?
- A.
15%
- B.
25%
- C.
1%
- D.
10%
- 3.Which of the following is considered the primary source of infection in the health care setting?
- A.
Medical equipment
- B.
Humans
- C.
Carpet
- D.
Food and water
- 4.How do endotracheal tubes increase the risk of infection?
- A.
By reducing neutrophil effectiveness
- B.
Providing surfaces for biofilms to develop
- C.
impeding local host defenses
- D.
Both A and B
- 5.All of the following factors increase the risk of surgical patients for developing postoperative pneumonia except:
- A.
History of smoking
- B.
Prolonged intubation
- C.
Obesity
- D.
All the above
- E.
- 6.What is the most common route of pathogen transmission in the hospital setting?
- A.
Airborne transmission
- B.
Surgical transmission
- C.
Indirect contact
- D.
Droplet transmission
- 7.Which of the following is an example of indirect contact transmission involving fomites?
- A.
Drinking tap water
- B.
Inhaling tuberculosis pathogens in the emergency department
- C.
Use of a sterile needle on a pneumonia patient
- D.
Use of a dirty nebulizer on another patient
- 8.If you are caring for a patient who is suspected of having SARS, at what distance from the patient is it recommended to wear an effective filtration mask?
- A.
12 feet
- B.
15 feet
- C.
10 feet
- D.
6 feet
- 9.Which of the following diseases is transmitted primarily by airborne transmission?
- A.
Smallpox
- B.
All the above
- C.
Tuberculosis
- D.
Measles
- 10.
- A.
Surveillance
- B.
Immunization
- C.
Chemoprophylaxis
- D.
Both A and B
- 11.What vaccination does OSHA require hospital employers to provide?
- A.
Hepatitis B
- B.
Streptococcus pneumoniae
- C.
Tuberculosis
- D.
Smallpox
- 12.Exposure to which of the following organisms calls for postexposure chemoprophylaxis?
- A.
B. anthracis
- B.
N. meningitides
- C.
B. pertussis
- D.
All the above
- E.
- 13.What is the first step in equipment processing for reuse on another patient?
- A.
Disinfecting the equipment
- B.
Sterilizing the equipment
- C.
Drying the equipment
- D.
Cleaning the equipment
- 14.Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the use of soaps to clean equipment?
- A.
Soaps have good bactericidal activity.
- B.
Soaps can help remove organic material.
- C.
Soaps act by lowering the surface tension.
- D.
Soaps work poorly in hard water.
- 15.What should be used to wipe down the surface of devices that cannot be immersed in water?
- A.
Strong detergent
- B.
Bleach
- C.
70% ethyl alcohol
- D.
Warm soapy water
- 16.Which of the following organisms is NOT destroyed by a disinfection agent?
- A.
Gram-positive rods
- B.
Viruses
- C.
Bacterial spores
- D.
Gram-negative cocci
- 17.What solution should be used to disinfect the surfaces of the room of a patient who was infected with C. difficile?
- A.
1% sodium benzoate
- B.
5% iodine solution
- C.
70% ethyl alcohol
- D.
5.25% sodium hypochlorite
- 18.Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the use of alcohol disinfectants?
- A.
They can damage rubber tubing.
- B.
They are considered sporicidal.
- C.
Their activity drops when diluted below 50% concentration
- D.
Alcohols are good for surface cleaning of stethoscope bells and diaphragms.
- 19.Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the use of phenolics as a disinfectant?
- A.
They are ineffective on surfaces shortly after application.
- B.
They cause tissue irritation.
- C.
They are fungicidal.
- D.
They are bactericidal.
- 20.Which of the following characteristics is true for iodophors as disinfectants?
- A.
Less irritating to tissue
- B.
Water soluble
- C.
Nonstaining
- D.
All the above
- 21.Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the use of glutaraldehyde?
- A.
It is not used for disinfection on surfaces due to cost.
- B.
It can cause significant tissue inflammation in workers who use it.
- C.
It is a true sterilizing agent when used properly.
- D.
It can retain activity up to 90 days once activated
- 22.What is the recommended dilution level of bleach according to the CDC for cleaning up blood spills?
- A.
1:10
- B.
1:20
- C.
1:1
- D.
1:5
- 23.What is the most common, efficient, and easiest sterilization method?
- A.
Steam sterilization
- B.
Use of hydrochlorofluorcarbon
- C.
Flash sterilization
- D.
ETO
- 24.Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the use of ETO for sterilization?
- A.
Acute exposure is of little consequence.
- B.
It is useful for equipment that cannot be autoclaved.
- C.
Will penetrate prewrapping.
- D.
It is harmless to rubber and plastics.
- 25.Which of the following is the most common source of patient infections?
- A.
Internal circuits of a ventilator
- B.
Oxygen therapy devices
- C.
Large-volume nebulizers
- D.
Small-volume nebulizers
- 26.Which of the following steps for disinfection of a bronchoscope is NOT true?
- A.
The device is stored lying flat to promote drying.
- B.
Drying techniques can include forced air.
- C.
The first step is cleaning the scope.
- D.
Disinfection is done by immersion in a liquid disinfectant
- 27.Which of the following organisms has been associated with health care–associated infections in patients using a poorly disinfected bronchoscope?
- A.
M. tuberculosis
- B.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- C.
Klebsiella
- D.
Both A and B
- 28.Which of the following statements is/are true regarding the use of disposable respiratory care equipment?
- A.
Reusing the equipment is often done
- B.
Many quality issues exist.
- C.
Recent research supports their use as a cost-effective measure
- D.
All of the above are true.
- 29.Which of the following is NOT a category under Expanded Precautions?
- A.
Standard precautions
- B.
Airborne Infection Isolation
- C.
Contact precautions
- D.
Droplet precautions
- 30.What is the minimum recommended time for handwashing in the health care environment?
- A.
30 seconds
- B.
60 seconds
- C.
5 seconds
- D.
15 seconds
- 31.Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the use of sterile gloves in the hospital setting?
- A.
The same pair can be used on numerous patients if noninvasive procedures are done.
- B.
They may have small invisible defects that cause contamination of the user’s hands.
- C.
They should not be used as a substitute for handwashing.
- D.
They should be worn for all invasive procedures.
- 32.Which of the following is NOT one of the five key recommended components of an infection control program in the hospital setting?
- A.
Investigation
- B.
Reporting
- C.
Surveillance
- D.
Development
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