Question 1

What is benchmarking?

Accepted Answer

A) Identifying a problem to be fixed 
B) Seeking an industry's or profession's best practices to imitate and improve 
C) Explaining why a problem occurred 
D) Asking the CEO's opinion and going with his or her idea 
A) Identifying a problem to be fixed 
B) Seeking an industry's or profession's best practices to imitate and improve 
C) Explaining why a problem occurred 
D) Asking the CEO's opinion and going with his or her idea

Question 2

All of the following are provisions of CLIA 88 except:

Accepted Answer

A) verify employee competency upon employment. 
B) determine an employee's competency. 
C) reverify the employee's competency monthly. 
D) reverify the employee's competency annually. 
A) verify employee competency upon employment. 
B) determine an employee's competency. 
C) reverify the employee's competency monthly. 
D) reverify the employee's competency annually.

Question 3

Thermometers used in the laboratory must be calibrated before they are put into use.This is accomplished by:

Accepted Answer

A) sending to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to determine its accuracy. 
B) checking against an NIST thermometer. 
C) measuring the grades to make sure they are the standard size and accurate. 
D) using a colored dye. 
A) sending to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to determine its accuracy. 
B) checking against an NIST thermometer. 
C) measuring the grades to make sure they are the standard size and accurate. 
D) using a colored dye.

Question 4

Confirmation is used after:

Accepted Answer

A) careful consideration by the doctor to do the test. 
B) a test that has a low predictive value. 
C) a test that has a low specificity. 
D) obtaining a positive screening result. 
A) careful consideration by the doctor to do the test. 
B) a test that has a low predictive value. 
C) a test that has a low specificity. 
D) obtaining a positive screening result.

Question 5

A group of 10 patients are to be tested: six are known to have a disease and four are disease free.If the four disease-free patients tested negative for this disease, what would the clinical specificity of this test be?

Accepted Answer

A) 100% 
B) 60% 
C) 40% 
D) 50% 
A) 100% 
B) 60% 
C) 40% 
D) 50%

Question 6

Usually, negative test results are more reliable in predicting the:

Accepted Answer

A) absence of disease. 
B) presence of disease. 
C) sensitivity of a test. 
D) specificity of a test. 
A) absence of disease. 
B) presence of disease. 
C) sensitivity of a test. 
D) specificity of a test.

Question 7

When a medium needs to be quality controlled because it was prepared in-house or because it is complex, all the following rules must be followed except:

Accepted Answer

A) only media not specified in Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines should be tested. 
B) the medium should be tested for sterility and pH. 
C) the organism selected for quality control testing should represent most fastidious organisms for which the medium is designed. 
D) testing techniques should be different for primary plating media than for biochemical or subculturing media. 
A) only media not specified in Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines should be tested. 
B) the medium should be tested for sterility and pH. 
C) the organism selected for quality control testing should represent most fastidious organisms for which the medium is designed. 
D) testing techniques should be different for primary plating media than for biochemical or subculturing media.

Question 8

An unlabeled specimen is sent from the intensive care unit to the laboratory.When the specimen arrives in the laboratory, the laboratory manager decides that corrective action needs to occur.What can be constructed to evaluate and correct the problem?

Accepted Answer

A) Find fault with the nurse causing the problem. 
B) Provide training for the nurse responsible for the problem. 
C) Empower a facilitator. 
D) Make a cross-functional team. 
A) Find fault with the nurse causing the problem. 
B) Provide training for the nurse responsible for the problem. 
C) Empower a facilitator. 
D) Make a cross-functional team.

Question 9

Actual laboratory testing is called a(n) _____ activity.

Accepted Answer

A) preanalytic 
B) analytic 
C) postanalytic 
D) research 
A) preanalytic 
B) analytic 
C) postanalytic 
D) research

Question 10

Preventive maintenance on an instrument includes all the following except:

Accepted Answer

A) disinfecting the surface of the instrument. 
B) oiling and cleaning the instrument. 
C) replacing filters. 
D) recalibrating instruments. 
A) disinfecting the surface of the instrument. 
B) oiling and cleaning the instrument. 
C) replacing filters. 
D) recalibrating instruments.

Question 11

When choosing a test to perform in your laboratory, an in-house verification is always performed.Verification of a test:

Accepted Answer

A) serves to establish that the performance parameters of the test are satisfactory. 
B) lets technicians actually perform the test. 
C) lets physicians perform the test. 
D) allows laboratory management to view positive results. 
A) serves to establish that the performance parameters of the test are satisfactory. 
B) lets technicians actually perform the test. 
C) lets physicians perform the test. 
D) allows laboratory management to view positive results.

Question 12

Incidence is:

Accepted Answer

A) the frequency of a disease at a designated single point in time in the population being tested. 
B) the number of new cases of disease over a period of time. 
C) proportion of negative test results in a population known to be free of disease. 
D) positive results in patients with the disease. 
A) the frequency of a disease at a designated single point in time in the population being tested. 
B) the number of new cases of disease over a period of time. 
C) proportion of negative test results in a population known to be free of disease. 
D) positive results in patients with the disease.

Question 13

Commercial media must have quality control testing performed by the manufacturer.Because of high failure rates, all of the following media must be retested by the hospital laboratory except:

Accepted Answer

A) Campylobacter media. 
B) selective media for pathogenic Neisseria. 
C) trypticase soy agar with 5% sheep blood. 
D) chocolate. 
A) Campylobacter media. 
B) selective media for pathogenic Neisseria. 
C) trypticase soy agar with 5% sheep blood. 
D) chocolate.

Question 14

Test validation is the ongoing process of providing information that a test is performing correctly.The components of validation include all the following except:

Accepted Answer

A) quality control. 
B) specimen requirements. 
C) proficiency testing. 
D) instrument calibration. 
A) quality control. 
B) specimen requirements. 
C) proficiency testing. 
D) instrument calibration.

Question 15

In any susceptibility system, variables that can affect the results include: 1. antibiotic potency.2. inoculum concentration.3. bactericidal level.4. pH.5. anion content.

Accepted Answer

A) 1, 2, and 3 are correct. 
B) 1, 3, 4, and 5 are correct. 
C) 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are correct. 
D) 1, 2, and 4 are correct. 
A) 1, 2, and 3 are correct. 
B) 1, 3, 4, and 5 are correct. 
C) 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are correct. 
D) 1, 2, and 4 are correct.

Question 16

How can personnel competency be determined?

Accepted Answer

A) Asking an employee to explain how to do a test 
B) Proficiency testing 
C) Asking another employee to comment on someone's competency 
D) Assuming competency from one's credentials 
A) Asking an employee to explain how to do a test 
B) Proficiency testing 
C) Asking another employee to comment on someone's competency 
D) Assuming competency from one's credentials

Question 17

In January 2004, The Joint Commission (TJC) implemented performance measurements for organizational systems that are critical to patient safety, quality of care, treatment, and services.This new initiative is called:

Accepted Answer

A) performance improvement. 
B) quality control. 
C) quality assurance. 
D) shared visions-new pathway. 
A) performance improvement. 
B) quality control. 
C) quality assurance. 
D) shared visions-new pathway.

Question 18

Quality control stock cultures are available from all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

A) American Type Culture Collection (ATC
C) . 
B) commercial sources. 
C) proficiency testing isolates. 
D) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CD
C) . 
A) American Type Culture Collection (ATC
C) . 
B) commercial sources. 
C) proficiency testing isolates. 
D) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CD
C) .

Question 19

Assume that a certain test for group A Streptococcus has reported sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 98%, respectively, and the estimated prevalence for group A Streptococcus infection in acute pharyngitis is 5%.What is the positive predictive value of this test?

Accepted Answer

A) 99.5% 
B) 30% 
C) 90% 
D) 70.3% 
A) 99.5% 
B) 30% 
C) 90% 
D) 70.3%

Exam 5: Performance Improvement in the Microbiology Laboratory

What is benchmarking?

All of the following are provisions of CLIA 88 except:

Thermometers used in the laboratory must be calibrated before they are put into use.This is accomplished by:

Confirmation is used after:

A group of 10 patients are to be tested: six are known to have a disease and four are disease free.If the four disease-free patients tested negative for this disease, what would the clinical specificity of this test be?

Usually, negative test results are more reliable in predicting the:

When a medium needs to be quality controlled because it was prepared in-house or because it is complex, all the following rules must be followed except:

An unlabeled specimen is sent from the intensive care unit to the laboratory.When the specimen arrives in the laboratory, the laboratory manager decides that corrective action needs to occur.What can be constructed to evaluate and correct the problem?

Actual laboratory testing is called a(n) _____ activity.

Preventive maintenance on an instrument includes all the following except:

When choosing a test to perform in your laboratory, an in-house verification is always performed.Verification of a test:

Incidence is:

Commercial media must have quality control testing performed by the manufacturer.Because of high failure rates, all of the following media must be retested by the hospital laboratory except:

Test validation is the ongoing process of providing information that a test is performing correctly.The components of validation include all the following except:

In any susceptibility system, variables that can affect the results include: 1. antibiotic potency.2. inoculum concentration.3. bactericidal level.4. pH.5. anion content.

How can personnel competency be determined?

In January 2004, The Joint Commission (TJC) implemented performance measurements for organizational systems that are critical to patient safety, quality of care, treatment, and services.This new initiative is called:

Quality control stock cultures are available from all of the following except:

Assume that a certain test for group A Streptococcus has reported sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 98%, respectively, and the estimated prevalence for group A Streptococcus infection in acute pharyngitis is 5%.What is the positive predictive value of this test?

Bacterial Cell Structure, Physiology, Metabolism, and Genetics

Host-Parasite Interaction

The Laboratory Role in Infection Control

Control of Microorganisms

Specimen Collection and Processing

Microscopic Examination of Materials From Infected Sites

Use of Colony Morphology for the Presumptive Identification of Microorganisms

Biochemical Identification of Gram-Negative Bacteria

Immunodiagnosis of Infectious Diseases

Applications of Molecular Diagnostics

Antimicrobial Agent Mechanisms of Action and Resistance

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing

Staphylococci

Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Other Catalase-Negative, Gram-Positive Cocci

Aerobic Gram-Positive Bacilli

Neisseria Species and Moraxella Catarrhalis

Haemophilus and Other Fastidious Gram-Negative Bacilli

Enterobacteriaceae

Vibrio, Aeromonas, Plesiomonas, and Campylobacter Species

Nonfermenting and Miscellaneous Gram-Negative Bacilli

Anaerobes of Clinical Importance

The Spirochetes

Chlamydia, Rickettsia and Similar Organisms

Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacteria

Medically Significant Fungi

Diagnostic Parasitology

Clinical Virology

Agents of Bioterror and Forensic Microbiology

Biofilms: Architects of Disease

Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Poisoning

Infections of the Central Nervous System

Bacteremia and Sepsis

Urinary Tract Infections

Genital Infections and Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Infections in Special Populations

Zoonotic Diseases

Ocular Infections

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