A patient is in contact isolation for Clostridioides difficile. After the draw, which hand hygiene method is required?
- Washing with soap and water
- Alcohol-based hand rub only
- Alcohol rub followed by new gloves
- Wiping with a chlorhexidine pad
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A. Washing with soap and water
C. difficile forms spores that alcohol does not reliably kill, so the hands are washed with soap and water to remove them physically. Alcohol rub is the usual choice for routine care, which is why it is the tempting wrong answer here.
Reference: CDC Hand Hygiene guidance: C. difficile
When washing hands with soap and water, about how long should the hands be rubbed together with lather before rinsing?
- About 3 to 5 seconds
- At least 2 full minutes by the clock
- At least 5 full minutes
- At least 15 to 20 seconds
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D. At least 15 to 20 seconds
Friction with lather for at least 15 to 20 seconds is needed to lift organisms from the skin. A few seconds is too short to be effective, and several minutes is a surgical scrub, not routine hand washing.
Reference: CDC Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings
In the chain of infection, a used needle that carries blood from one person to another is an example of which link?
- Susceptible host of the organism
- Reservoir
- Mode of transmission
- Portal of exit
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C. Mode of transmission
The mode of transmission is how the organism travels from the source to the next person; a contaminated needle is a vehicle for that. The reservoir is where the organism lives and multiplies, such as the infected patient, not the object that carries it.
Reference: Infection control: chain of infection