Infection Control and Patient Safety
This domain tests prevention and response to surgical infection and system safety. The exam expects practical infection-control measures and recognition of device-related infection.
Core rules
- Surgical-site infection prevention includes timely prophylaxis, skin preparation, glucose control and normothermia.
- Sterile technique and operating-room traffic control reduce contamination; breach requires stop-and-correct action.
- Device infection such as VAD or prosthetic valve endocarditis requires cultures, imaging and often device removal.
- Safety tools such as checklists, time-outs and handoffs reduce wrong-site and retained-item events.
Worked example
A patient with a VAD develops fever and positive blood cultures. The reasoning should include device-related infection until proven otherwise; obtain cultures and imaging, involve infectious disease and consider device exchange or removal. Treating with antibiotics alone may fail because biofilm persists.
Traps
Do not continue antibiotics without source control; do not ignore subtle sternal instability; do not skip prophylaxis timing; do not treat a checklist as a formality when a discrepancy appears.