CBIC CIC Exam With Confidence Using Practice Dumps

Meningococcal infections, such as Neisseria meningitidis, are transmitted via respiratory droplets. According to APIC and CDC guidelines, patients with meningococcal disease should be placed on Droplet Precautions upon admission. These precautions can be discontinued after 24 hours of effective antibiotic therapy.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect?

B. Droplet precautions must continue – Droplet Precautions are not needed beyond 24 hours of appropriate therapy because treatment rapidly reduces infectiousness.

C. Airborne precautions may be discontinued after 24 hours of therapy – Meningococcal infection is not airborne, so Airborne Precautions are never required.

D. Airborne precautions must continue – Incorrect because meningococci do not transmit via airborne particles.

CBIC Infection Control Reference

According to APIC guidelines, Droplet Precautions should be maintained for at least 24 hours after effective antibiotic therapy initiation​.

The table separates admission cultures from weekly cultures, which is a common surveillance approach to distinguish imported MRSA burden (present on admission) from healthcare acquisition (newly detected later). The admission culture percent positive rises over the three months: 14% (Feb) → 18% (Mar) → 19% (Apr). That pattern indicates an increasing admission prevalence (option B). NHSN MDRO surveillance methods describe admission prevalence as a proxy measure using admission-related data to quantify organisms present at the time of entry into a location/facility.

By contrast, weekly culture positivity—often used as a proxy for on-unit acquisition/transmission when admission screening is in place—decreases: 6% → 5.6% → 4%, so option A is not increasing. The dataset also does not provide information about MRSA infections versus colonization (so C cannot be concluded), nor does it provide a denominator for “compliance” (e.g., expected admissions/weekly screens completed), so D cannot be determined. This interpretation aligns with standard infection prevention use of MRSA surveillance data to track prevalence (burden) versus incidence/acquisition.

The CBIC Certified Infection Control Exam Study Guide (6th edition) emphasizes that when a potential cluster of infections is identified, the first priority is situational awareness. Before implementing control measures or advanced laboratory analysis, the infection preventionist must determine whether the cases are epidemiologically linked. Identifying the location of the patients—such as whether they are on the same unit, service, or clinic—is the essential first step in assessing the likelihood of transmission or a common source.

Option C is correct because determining patient location allows the IP to evaluate spatial and temporal relationships, which form the foundation of outbreak investigation. If the patients are colocated, this may indicate shared staff, equipment, or environmental exposure, guiding immediate and targeted interventions.

Cohorting patients (Option A) is premature without confirming proximity or transmission risk. Monitoring hand hygiene (Option B) is an important control measure but should follow confirmation of potential spread or shared risk factors. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (Option D) is an advanced molecular typing method and is never an initial step; it is reserved for later stages when epidemiologic evidence suggests related cases.

For the CIC® exam, this question tests understanding of outbreak investigation sequencing. The Study Guide consistently reinforces that defining who, where, and when comes before interventions or laboratory typing, making determination of patient location the correct first action.