Question 1

Laboratory technologists must not only keep themselves educated in their contribution to the infection control team, they must keep

Accepted Answer

Laboratory technologists must keep the infection control personnel educated regarding the laboratory's contribution to the team. This is important to ensure that the laboratory is aligned with the hospital's overall infection control program. While housekeeping and equipment needs are important considerations for laboratory operations, they are not the primary responsibility of laboratory technologists in relation to infection control. Additionally, notifying the CDC of ongoing education needs is not a direct responsibility of laboratory technologists.

Question 2

The hospital infection control committee will expect reports from the laboratory that deal with all the following, except

Accepted Answer

The hospital infection control committee will expect reports from the laboratory that deal with antibiograms, blood culture contamination rates, and pathogens recovered in certain hospital units. However, water contamination rates are typically monitored and reported by environmental services or infection preventionists, not the laboratory.

Question 3

What types of activities have led to the emergence of the microbiology laboratory as the forefront in keeping Americans safe?

Accepted Answer

Microbiology laboratories play a crucial role in identifying and responding to biological threats, including those posed by bioterrorism, making them essential in counter-terrorism efforts.

Question 4

This is practiced throughout the hospital and mandates safety for all personnel when handling blood and body fluids.

Accepted Answer

Standard Precautions are a set of infection control practices that apply to all patients, regardless of suspected or confirmed infection status. This includes hand washing, use of personal protective equipment, proper handling and disposal of sharps and other contaminated materials, and implementation of engineering and work practice controls. It is an important aspect of ensuring a safe and healthy work environment for healthcare personnel.

Question 5

Waterborne illnesses that may be associated with contaminated drinking water or recreation water include all the following, except

Accepted Answer

Hepatitis B is primarily transmitted through blood and bodily fluids, not through water, making it the exception among the options provided.

Question 6

An example of an emerging disease is

Accepted Answer

West Nile virus was first identified in the United States in 1999 and has since emerged as an important mosquito-borne disease. It has spread throughout North America and continues to be a public health concern. In contrast, influenza, malaria, and chicken pox are well-established diseases that have affected humans for centuries.

Question 7

The role of the microbiology laboratory is to perform cultures and provide culture results to health care providers. The microbiology laboratory also has the responsibility to

Accepted Answer

The microbiology laboratory is responsible for reporting the identification or suspicion of certain infectious diseases to local, state, and federal public health entities. This is important for maintaining public health and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. The other options, such as reporting bioterrorism findings to the news media or police, are not within the scope of the microbiology laboratory's responsibilities. Reporting odd infectious diseases to the CDC would fall under the reporting to public health entities mentioned in option A.

Question 8

Although environmental cultures are not usually performed because the environment is rarely implicated in disease transmission, they occasionally are useful. Samples will be taken from all of the following, except

Accepted Answer

Hands are not considered part of the environment, but rather a potential source of contamination on the environment. Therefore, samples from hands are typically taken as part of a separate process, such as hand hygiene monitoring or infection control assessments.

Question 9

In the United States, 46 outbreaks annually owing to waterborne pathogens cause this illness and affect several thousand people.

Accepted Answer

The statement mentions "waterborne pathogens" causing "several thousand people" to be affected by "this illness," which is likely referring to diarrhea. Hepatitis C is primarily spread through blood-to-blood contact, not waterborne transmission. Naegleria and Legionnaires' disease are also waterborne illnesses, but they are relatively rare and do not typically cause outbreaks that affect thousands of people annually.

Quiz 3: The Laboratory Role in Infection Control