Higher Specialist Diploma
Medical Microbiology
Examination – September 2022
Short-answer questions
60 minutes
Attempt all four questions
Instructions to candidates
1. Record your candidate number and HSD discipline on the front sheet of the answer
booklet
2. Record your candidate number, the question number and the page number in the spaces
provided on the answer sheets
3. Begin each new answer on a new page
4. Each question is worth 25 marks
Page | 1
HSD Med Micro – Sept 2022 Short Answer, Essay and Case Studies Papers FINAL EXAM PAPERS
, 1. There has been a technical issue with your blood culture instruments and the capacity
of the instruments has reduced by approximately 50%. This reduction means that you
no longer have enough capacity to incubate all blood culture bottles.
Describe the actions would you take to manage this scenario.
2. The daily disc diffusion IQC performed as per EUCAST methodology has demonstrated
that co-trimoxazole has been too large for two days running.
Explain the possible causes of this.
3. There has been hospital transmission of Candida auris amongst intensive care patients.
Explain why this is of concern and suggest a method to screen other patients to identify
if transmission has occurred.
4. Your Microbiology department is becoming overwhelmed due to a resurgence of Covid-
19 and is unable to support all its services.
Outline with reasons the services you would reduce or halt to help deal with the
situation.
Page | 2
HSD Med Micro – Sept 2022 Short Answer, Essay and Case Studies Papers FINAL EXAM PAPERS
Medical Microbiology
Examination – September 2022
Short-answer questions
60 minutes
Attempt all four questions
Instructions to candidates
1. Record your candidate number and HSD discipline on the front sheet of the answer
booklet
2. Record your candidate number, the question number and the page number in the spaces
provided on the answer sheets
3. Begin each new answer on a new page
4. Each question is worth 25 marks
Page | 1
HSD Med Micro – Sept 2022 Short Answer, Essay and Case Studies Papers FINAL EXAM PAPERS
, 1. There has been a technical issue with your blood culture instruments and the capacity
of the instruments has reduced by approximately 50%. This reduction means that you
no longer have enough capacity to incubate all blood culture bottles.
Describe the actions would you take to manage this scenario.
2. The daily disc diffusion IQC performed as per EUCAST methodology has demonstrated
that co-trimoxazole has been too large for two days running.
Explain the possible causes of this.
3. There has been hospital transmission of Candida auris amongst intensive care patients.
Explain why this is of concern and suggest a method to screen other patients to identify
if transmission has occurred.
4. Your Microbiology department is becoming overwhelmed due to a resurgence of Covid-
19 and is unable to support all its services.
Outline with reasons the services you would reduce or halt to help deal with the
situation.
Page | 2
HSD Med Micro – Sept 2022 Short Answer, Essay and Case Studies Papers FINAL EXAM PAPERS
