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Infection Control and Safety practice questions for the CCMA exam

Infection Control and Safety is 15 of the 150 scored questions (10%) on the CCMA exam, part of Clinical Patient Care (84 questions). Try 5 free questions below; open each one to see the answer, why the other options are wrong and the sources.

Question 1

How should a contaminated gown be removed?

  1. Touch only the outside while removing it
  2. Pull it off over the head and fold it up
  3. Shake it off and fold it for the next use
  4. Roll it up with the outside turned in
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Roll it up with the outside turned in

Unfasten the ties, pull the gown away from the neck and shoulders touching the inside only, turn the contaminated outside inward and roll it into a bundle to discard.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Touch only the outside while removing it: The outside is the contaminated side; only the inside should be touched.
  • B. Pull it off over the head and fold it up: Pulling a gown over the head brings the contaminated outside near the face.
  • C. Shake it off and fold it for the next use: Shaking spreads contamination, and a disposable gown is not reused.

Sources

Question 2

A medical assistant is stuck by a used needle after drawing blood. Which pathogen is the main concern for transmission through this kind of exposure?

  1. Varicella-zoster virus
  2. Bordetella pertussis
  3. Hepatitis B virus
  4. Influenza virus
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Hepatitis B virus

Hepatitis B virus is a bloodborne pathogen spread through contact with infected blood or body fluids; OSHA names HBV and HIV as bloodborne pathogens.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Varicella-zoster virus: Varicella spreads by the airborne route and by contact with lesions.
  • B. Bordetella pertussis: Pertussis spreads by respiratory droplets.
  • D. Influenza virus: Influenza spreads mainly by respiratory droplets, not needlesticks.

Sources

Question 3

When washing hands with soap and water, which areas must the medical assistant rub?

  1. The palms and the backs of the hands
  2. All surfaces of the hands and fingers
  3. The palms, the wrists and the forearms
  4. The fingertips and the thumbs
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. All surfaces of the hands and fingers

Handwashing technique covers all surfaces of the hands and fingers: palms, backs of the hands, between the fingers, the thumbs and the fingertips.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. The palms and the backs of the hands: Washing palms and backs alone misses fingertips, thumbs and the spaces between fingers.
  • C. The palms, the wrists and the forearms: This misses the fingers and thumbs, which are the surfaces most involved in patient contact.
  • D. The fingertips and the thumbs: Fingertips and thumbs matter, but palms, backs and between the fingers must also be covered.

Sources

Question 4

Which feature does OSHA require of a sharps container?

  1. A lid that stays open for quick use
  2. Washable glass construction
  3. Puncture-resistant walls
  4. Clear walls so the contents can be seen
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Puncture-resistant walls

Sharps containers must be closable, puncture-resistant, leakproof on the sides and bottom, and labeled or color-coded.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. A lid that stays open for quick use: The container must be closable, not permanently open.
  • B. Washable glass construction: Glass can break and is not a required material.
  • D. Clear walls so the contents can be seen: Transparency is not an OSHA requirement.

Sources

Question 5

A disease that is constantly present at a usual, expected level in a population within a geographic area is described as

  1. sporadic
  2. pandemic
  3. endemic
  4. epidemic
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. endemic

Endemic refers to the constant presence or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area; this baseline is the expected level.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. sporadic: Sporadic disease occurs infrequently and irregularly.
  • B. pandemic: A pandemic is an epidemic spread across countries or continents.
  • D. epidemic: An epidemic is a rise above the expected level.

Sources

Cheat sheets for this topic

Infection Control and Safety terms

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