Safety and Compliance is 26 of the 100 scored items on the NHA CPT exam. Answer 10 exam style questions on infection control and PPE and see exactly which concepts would cost you points on test day.
Start the 10 questions →Standard precautions assume which of the following?
These questions cover standard precautions, isolation, hand hygiene, glove removal and equipment hygiene. Each one shows the correct answer and why every other option is wrong, so a miss tells you exactly what to review before the NHA CPT.
Prefer to read first? Every question from the practice set above, with the correct answer and why each wrong option is wrong.
Answer: B. Standard precautions treat every patient's blood and most body fluids as potentially infectious, regardless of diagnosis.
Why not A: Unknown infections are common, so all patients are treated the same.
Why not C: Gloves are used for every venipuncture.
Why not D: Other body fluids can also carry pathogens.
Exam tactic: Treat all blood as infectious.
Answer: B. Tuberculosis is airborne. Airborne precautions require a fit-tested N95 or higher respirator and an airborne infection isolation room.
Why not A: A surgical mask does not filter airborne particles well enough.
Why not C: Gloves alone do not protect against airborne spread.
Why not D: Tuberculosis spreads through the air, not mainly by contact.
Exam tactic: TB: fit-tested N95.
Answer: C. Hands are scrubbed with soap for at least 20 seconds, covering all surfaces including between fingers and under nails, before rinsing. CDC healthcare guidance sets a minimum of 15 seconds and accepts 20, which is the time most phlebotomy programs teach.
Why not A: Five seconds is too short to remove organisms.
Why not B: Two minutes is not the routine requirement.
Why not D: Rinsing is a separate step after scrubbing.
Exam tactic: Scrub 20 seconds.
Answer: A. The first glove is grasped at the palm and peeled off inside out, held in the gloved hand, then the second is removed by sliding a bare finger under its cuff, trapping the first inside. Hand hygiene follows.
Why not B: The mouth never touches contaminated gloves.
Why not C: Pulling by the fingertips can snap contamination onto skin.
Why not D: Gloves are removed, not rinsed and reused.
Exam tactic: Glove to glove, skin to skin.
Answer: B. Surfaces patients touch, such as armrests, are cleaned with an approved disinfectant between patients.
Why not A: Armrests are direct patient contact surfaces.
Why not C: Monthly cleaning allows spread between patients.
Why not D: Invisible contamination can still spread infection.
Exam tactic: Clean the armrest every patient.
Answer: A. OSHA requires fit testing before first use and at least annually, plus a user seal check each time the respirator is put on.
Why not B: A single test is not enough.
Why not C: Respirators come in sizes and must be fitted.
Why not D: Daily checks are seal checks, not fit tests.
Exam tactic: N95: fit test yearly, seal check every time.
Answer: A. A susceptible host is a person who can easily become infected, such as someone with a weakened immune system.
Why not B: The reservoir is where the organism lives and grows.
Why not C: The portal of exit is how an organism leaves a reservoir.
Why not D: Mode of transmission is how the organism travels.
Exam tactic: Weak immunity: susceptible host.
Answer: A. Protective clothing is removed before leaving the work area so contamination is not spread to clean areas.
Why not B: Contamination is not always visible.
Why not C: Buttoning does not prevent spread.
Why not D: Break length does not matter.
Exam tactic: PPE stays in the work area.
Answer: D. With gloves on, the spill is absorbed, the area is cleaned, and then it is disinfected with an approved disinfectant such as a 1:10 bleach solution or an EPA-registered product. Waste goes in biohazard containers as required.
Why not A: Wiping without gloves and disinfection is unsafe.
Why not B: Leaving a spill exposes others.
Why not C: Water does not disinfect.
Exam tactic: Gloves, absorb, clean, disinfect.
Answer: C. OSHA requires gloves when hand contact with blood is reasonably expected and when performing vascular access procedures.
Why not A: Standard precautions treat every patient as potentially infectious.
Why not B: Venipuncture also requires gloves.
Why not D: Gloves are required for every draw, not only with hand injuries.
Exam tactic: Every draw, gloves on.
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