Patient Care Technician (PCT) AAH Practice Exam

What is an HAI infection commonly known as?

1. Hospital acquired infection

2. Infection from contact with an infected patient

3. Infection brought into the hospital

4. Infection from a treatment nurse

The correct answer is: Hospital acquired infection

An HAI infection is commonly known as a Hospital Acquired Infection. This term specifically refers to infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions, which were not present or incubating at the time of admission to the healthcare facility. Hospital acquired infections can occur in various parts of the hospital, including surgical sites, the bloodstream, and the urinary tract. Understanding that HAIs arise during healthcare delivery helps healthcare professionals develop better infection control practices and implement protocols aimed at reducing the transmission of infections within hospital settings. The other options suggest different types of infections but do not accurately define HAIs. For instance, an infection from contact with an infected patient could refer to community-acquired infections or other modes of transmission that are not specifically related to healthcare settings. An infection brought into the hospital could refer to cases where a patient arrives with an existing infection, and an infection from a treatment nurse is too narrow, focusing only on one potential source of infection rather than encompassing the broader context of healthcare-associated risks.