Chapter 26: Asepsis and Infection Control

The nurse is caring for a patient who has been diagnosed with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus located in her incision. What transmission-based precautions will the nurse implement for the patient?

a. Private room

b. Private, negative-airflow room

c. Mask worn by the staff when entering the room

d. Mask worn by the staff and the patient when leaving the patient’s room

a. Private room

A new patient is admitted to a medical unit with Clostridioides difficile. Which type of precautions or isolation does the nurse know is appropriate for this patient?

a. Airborne precautions

b. Droplet precautions

c. Contact precautions

d. Protective isolation

c. Contact precautions

The nurse is providing patient education on infection prevention. Which definition of an infection does the nurse use as a teaching point?

a. An illness resulting from living in an unclean environment

b. A result of lack of knowledge about food preparation

c. A disease resulting from pathogens in or on the body

d. An acute or chronic illness resulting from traumatic injury

c. A disease resulting from pathogens in or on the body

The nurse is caring for a patient who had abdominal surgery and has developed an infection in the wound while hospitalized. Which agent is most likely the cause of the infection?

a. Virus

b. Bacterium

c. Fungus

d. Spore

b. Bacterium

A nurse is preparing to change a sterile dressing and has put on a pair of sterile gloves. To maintain surgical asepsis, what else must the nurse do?

a. Keep the amount of splashes on the sterile field to a minimum.

b. If a sneeze is imminent, cover the nose and mouth with a gloved hand.

c. With a moist saline sponge, use the dominant hand to clean the wound and then apply a dry dressing.

d. Regard the outer 1 inch of the sterile field as contaminated.

d. Regard the outer 1 inch of the sterile field as contaminated

What is the proper order of removal of soiled personal protective equipment (PPE) when the nurse leaves the patient’s room?

a. Gown, goggles, mask, gloves, and exit the room

b. Gloves, wash hands, gown, mask, and wash hands

c. Gloves, gown, wash hands, goggles, mask, and wash hands

d. Goggles, mask, gloves, gown, and wash hands

c. Gloves, gown, wash hands, goggles, mask, and wash hands.

Of the following hospitalized patients, who is most at risk for acquiring a health care–associated infection?

a. A 60-year-old who smokes two packs of cigarettes per day

b. A 40-year-old who has an indwelling urinary catheter in place

c. A 65-year-old who is a vegetarian and slightly underweight

d. A 60-year-old who has a white blood cell count of 6000

b. A 40-year-old who has an indwelling urinary catheter in place is most at risk for acquiring a health care–associated infection due to the potential introduction of pathogens through the catheter.

A patient develops food poisoning from contaminated food. What is the means of transmission for the infectious organism?

a. Direct contact

b. Vector

c. Vehicle

d. Airborne

c. Vehicle, as the infectious organism is transmitted through contaminated food, which serves as the vehicle for transmission.

Of the following assessment findings, which cues indicate to a nurse that a patient has a surgical site infection? (Select all that apply.)

a. Redness or warmth at the affected site

b. Purulent drainage at the incision site

c. Tenderness and localized pain

d. Wound with well-approximated edges

e. White blood cell count 6500 cells/mm3

a. Redness or warmth at the affected site

b. Purulent drainage at the incision site

c. Tenderness and localized pain