Infection Control — practice questions

7% of the exam ≈5 real questions 7 free questions here

Seven percent, and every other domain depends on it: hand hygiene, standard precautions, PPE order, sharps in the home, laundry and spills. Infection prevention is on the federal subject list and is the most common critical step on skills tests.

Where people lose points

• Wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use soap instead of alcohol rub when hands are visibly dirty or the client has C. diff.
• Standard precautions apply to every client, every time. Transmission-based precautions are added on top, never instead.
• Put PPE on in this order: gown, mask, goggles, gloves. Take gloves off first. Clean your hands after removing gloves, every time.
• Tuberculosis needs a fit-tested N95. MRSA needs contact precautions with gown and gloves.
• Anything that touches the floor is dirty. Soiled linen is rolled inward, held away from you, and never shaken.

Questions and answers, explained

All 4 questions above, with the correct answer and why it is correct. Everything here is on infection control.

1. Under OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard, what must an employer offer an aide with occupational exposure to blood?

   • AA yearly bonus for working with blood
   • BA personal sharps container for the aide's own home
   • CFree time off to recover from any illness caught at work, paid in full
   • DThe hepatitis B vaccine at no costCorrect

   Why: OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard requires employers to make the hepatitis B vaccination series available, at no cost, to employees with occupational exposure, along with training, PPE, and post-exposure evaluation.

   Reference OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030(f)

2. How should the aide handle bed linens soiled with urine?

   • AShake them out over the bed before bagging them
   • BCarry them pressed against the uniform to the washer
   • CLeave them on the floor until the end of the visit, then gather all the laundry at once
   • DWear gloves, roll them inward, and hold them away from the bodyCorrect

   Why: Soiled linen is rolled with the dirty side in and held away from the uniform, never shaken, which spreads germs into the air. It goes straight into a hamper or the washer, laundered in hot water with detergent following agency policy, and the floor is never used as a holding place.

   Reference CDC environmental infection control (laundry)

3. Where should the aide place the supply bag inside the client's home?

   • AOn the floor by the door, where it is out of the way
   • BOn the client's bed, near the pillow
   • COn a clean, dry, hard surface away from pets and childrenCorrect
   • DIn the bathroom next to the toilet, since supplies are used there most

   Why: The supply bag travels between homes, so it is kept on a clean, dry, hard surface, often on a paper barrier, never on the floor, a bed or near the toilet. The aide performs hand hygiene before reaching into it so clean supplies stay clean.

   Reference Home care bag technique; agency infection control policy

4. Why is a yearly flu vaccine recommended for home health aides?

   • AIt protects the aide and the vulnerable clients the aide visitsCorrect
   • BIt removes the need for hand hygiene during flu season
   • CIt is only for aides over 65, since younger adults never get sick
   • DOne shot protects for life

   Why: CDC recommends annual influenza vaccination for all health care personnel. Aides visit older and chronically ill clients for whom flu can be deadly, and an aide can spread flu before feeling sick. Flu viruses change, so the vaccine is updated every year; hand hygiene is still needed.

   Reference CDC influenza vaccination of health care personnel

Topics inside this domain

• Pressure injuries and skin tears: what HHAs check and report
• Hand hygiene, gloves and PPE order for home health aides

Drill other domains

• Role, Responsibilities and Ethics (15%)
• Observation, Vital Signs and Reporting (10%)
• Personal Care and Hygiene (13%)
• Mobility, Transfers and Positioning (9%)
• Nutrition and Fluids (5%)
• Safety and Emergencies (7%)

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