NVS Staff Nurse - 2019
Applied Microbiology & Infection control (E5)
Easy
The most commonly used method to prevent the transmission of microorganism(s) from one person to another in hospital setting is?
Appeared in: NVS Staff Nurse - 2019
Explanation
- Hand hygiene is universally recognized as the single most important, effective, and frequent practice to prevent the transmission of microorganisms in healthcare settings.
- It directly interrupts the primary mode of transmission for most healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which is contact via the hands of healthcare workers.
- The World Health Organization's '5 Moments for Hand Hygiene' framework establishes a standard for frequent and timely hand cleaning during patient care.
- Compared to other methods, hand hygiene is applicable to all patients in all settings, making it the most commonly used and fundamental infection control measure.
Why Other Options Were Wrong
- Option A: Changing linen is a standard hygiene practice but is less impactful and less frequent than hand hygiene for preventing direct person-to-person transmission. Pathogens on linen (fomites) are a secondary route of transmission.
- Option B: Disinfecting instruments is a critical process (sterilization) to prevent infections from invasive procedures, but it does not address the constant risk of transmission from human contact.
- Option C: Air filtration (e.g., HEPA filters, negative pressure rooms) is a specialized engineering control used for pathogens that spread via the airborne route (droplet nuclei smaller than 5 microns), such as tuberculosis or measles. It is not a standard, common practice for all patient care.
Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
- Nursing practice connection: Knowing Infection control and prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
- Adherence to hand hygiene protocols is a direct measure of the quality and safety of patient care and is a major focus for hospital accreditation and performance monitoring.
- Failure to perform hand hygiene is a leading cause of preventable healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which increase patient morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and healthcare costs.
- What if? If a patient is diagnosed with Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), the correct hand hygiene method changes. Alcohol-based hand rubs are ineffective against C. diff spores. Therefore, washing with soap and water becomes mandatory after every contact with the patient or their environment.
How to Approach the Question
- First, identify the core question: It asks for the 'most commonly used' method of preventing germ transmission in a hospital.
- Analyze the keyword 'most commonly used'. This implies looking for a universal, frequent, and fundamental practice, not a specialized one.
- Evaluate each option based on this criterion:
- Is changing linen done after every single person-to-person contact? No.
- Are instruments disinfected after every contact? No, only when used.
- Is air filtered in every patient room for every interaction? No.
Concept Tested & Keywords
- Concept Tested: Infection control and prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
- Stem keywords: prevent transmission, microorganism, hospital setting, person to another
- Lead-in keywords: most commonly used
Question ID
Q022skUoG-XxNZzAHNMSNS
Reference Book
E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 2 p. 234-236
E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart C (pp 404-604 of 604) p. 26-28
E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 1620-1622
Practise the full NVS Staff Nurse - 2019
Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.
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