Infection Prevention and Control
Core concepts
This domain tests the chain of infection and the standard precautions that break it. Know the six links (infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host) and how each precaution interrupts a link. Understand hand hygiene indications, personal protective equipment (PPE) selection and doffing order, transmission-based precautions (contact, droplet, airborne), safe handling of sharps and body fluids, and cleaning versus disinfection versus sterilization. Recognize reportable exposures and post-exposure steps.
Traps
Questions love the doffing sequence and the "when to wash hands" list. Distractors put hand hygiene after glove removal only, or reverse the order of removing PPE. Another trap confuses the precaution type: airborne requires a fit-tested respirator and negative-pressure room, droplet requires a mask and distance, contact requires gown and gloves. Do not accept "wear gloves instead of washing hands" - gloves are not a substitute for hand hygiene.
Rule of thumb
Clean-to-dirty, outside-in: remove the most contaminated PPE last and perform hand hygiene immediately after doffing. When unsure of the precaution type, ask what the transmission route is - that dictates the PPE.
Worked example
Caring for a patient with suspected tuberculosis: the route is airborne, so use a fit-tested N95 or equivalent respirator plus a negative-pressure room, and perform hand hygiene after doffing. A surgical mask alone would be inadequate.