Question 1

Information that the microbiology laboratory can provide to infection control practitioners includes:

Accepted Answer

A)  The prevalence of a particular pathogen 
B)  Data on the effectiveness of handwashing techniques 
C)  Information about the outbreak of meningitis cases in the surrounding counties 
D)  The antibiotic ordering patterns of particular physicians 
A)  The prevalence of a particular pathogen 
B)  Data on the effectiveness of handwashing techniques 
C)  Information about the outbreak of meningitis cases in the surrounding counties 
D)  The antibiotic ordering patterns of particular physicians

Question 2

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

A)  Air 
B)  Water 
C)  Hands 
D)  Surfaces 
A)  Air 
B)  Water 
C)  Hands 
D)  Surfaces

Question 3

An outbreak occurs when:

Accepted Answer

A)  Numbers of isolates or infection rates increase significantly above the baseline. 
B)  Numbers of isolates or infection rates decrease significantly below the baseline. 
C)  Many people in a community are infected with a particular organism. 
D)  The mortality rate from a particular organism increases above 2%. 
A)  Numbers of isolates or infection rates increase significantly above the baseline. 
B)  Numbers of isolates or infection rates decrease significantly below the baseline. 
C)  Many people in a community are infected with a particular organism. 
D)  The mortality rate from a particular organism increases above 2%.

Question 4

If a large statewide or worldwide epidemic occurs,one of the major difficulties is:

Accepted Answer

A)  Collecting and transporting specimens from people who live out of state or around the world 
B)  Determining what organism is causing the outbreak 
C)  Arranging to get all the people with the infections to come back to the main area of the outbreak for an extended period 
D)  Making sure enough media and technologists are available to process the large amount of cultures associated with the outbreak investigation 
A)  Collecting and transporting specimens from people who live out of state or around the world 
B)  Determining what organism is causing the outbreak 
C)  Arranging to get all the people with the infections to come back to the main area of the outbreak for an extended period 
D)  Making sure enough media and technologists are available to process the large amount of cultures associated with the outbreak investigation

Question 5

A microbiology technologist is working at the bench and notices that a patient from the myocardial intensive care unit grows a Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterium that is an extended-spectrum b-lactamase-producing isolate.This technologist would advise the physician to:

Accepted Answer

A)  Order any antimicrobial that is effective against gram-negative rods in general. 
B)  Limit the use of antimicrobial agents that tend to induce the formation of extended-spectrum b-lactamases. 
C)  Draw more blood cultures, as the ones that grew that organism are contaminated. 
D)  Be on the lookout for diarrhea. 
A)  Order any antimicrobial that is effective against gram-negative rods in general. 
B)  Limit the use of antimicrobial agents that tend to induce the formation of extended-spectrum b-lactamases. 
C)  Draw more blood cultures, as the ones that grew that organism are contaminated. 
D)  Be on the lookout for diarrhea.

Question 6

In an outbreak investigation and in the collection of routine surveillance data,what sorts of activities are critical?

Accepted Answer

A)  Microbiologists' awareness of the processes that occur in a routine investigation 
B)  Alerting the public health department about potential outbreaks 
C)  Analyzing data on antimicrobial susceptibility from pathogens in the hospital so the health care providers understand the type of antimicrobials that must be used 
D)  Collecting, processing, reporting, and reviewing pertinent cultures 
A)  Microbiologists' awareness of the processes that occur in a routine investigation 
B)  Alerting the public health department about potential outbreaks 
C)  Analyzing data on antimicrobial susceptibility from pathogens in the hospital so the health care providers understand the type of antimicrobials that must be used 
D)  Collecting, processing, reporting, and reviewing pertinent cultures

Question 7

Organisms that are frequently encountered as causes of health care-associated infections in acute care settings include all the following organisms EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 
B)  Enterococci 
C)  Clostridium difficile 
D)  Neisseria meningitis 
A)  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 
B)  Enterococci 
C)  Clostridium difficile 
D)  Neisseria meningitis

Question 8

An iatrogenic infection is one that is:

Accepted Answer

A)  Caused by gram-negative bacteria 
B)  Occurs as a result of medical treatment 
C)  Is found in urinary tract infections 
D)  Is not subject to outbreak investigation 
A)  Caused by gram-negative bacteria 
B)  Occurs as a result of medical treatment 
C)  Is found in urinary tract infections 
D)  Is not subject to outbreak investigation

Question 9

When an outbreak is suspected,all the following steps are taken in investigating that event EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  Establish a case definition. 
B)  Confirm that an outbreak exists. 
C)  Immediately treat all persons involved with appropriate antibiotic. 
D)  Establish an epidemiologic curve 
A)  Establish a case definition. 
B)  Confirm that an outbreak exists. 
C)  Immediately treat all persons involved with appropriate antibiotic. 
D)  Establish an epidemiologic curve

Exam 3: Laboratory Role in Infection Control

Information that the microbiology laboratory can provide to infection control practitioners includes:

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:

An outbreak occurs when:

If a large statewide or worldwide epidemic occurs,one of the major difficulties is:

A microbiology technologist is working at the bench and notices that a patient from the myocardial intensive care unit grows a Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterium that is an extended-spectrum b-lactamase-producing isolate.This technologist would advise the physician to:

In an outbreak investigation and in the collection of routine surveillance data,what sorts of activities are critical?

Organisms that are frequently encountered as causes of health care-associated infections in acute care settings include all the following organisms EXCEPT:

An iatrogenic infection is one that is:

When an outbreak is suspected,all the following steps are taken in investigating that event EXCEPT:

Bacterial Cell Structure, physiology, Metabolism, and Genetics

Host-Parasite Interaction

Control of Microorganisms

Performance Improvement in the Microbiology Laboratory

Specimen Collection and Processing

Microscopic Examination of Infected Materials

Use of Colonial Morphology for the Presumptive Identification of Microorganisms

Biochemical Identification of Gram-Negative Bacteria

Immunodiagnosis of Infectious Diseases

Applications of Molecular Diagnostics

Antibiotic 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

Spirochetes

Chlamydia and Rickettsia

Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Other Nontuberculosis Mycobacteria

Medically Significant Fungi

Diagnostic Parasitology

Clinical Virology

Agents of Bioterror

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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