BOC (Microbiology) EXAM BANK COMPLETE
AND ACCURATE WITH ALL INFORMATION YOU
NEED TO PASS.
1. The proper blood-to-broth ratio for blood cultures to reduce the
antibacterial effect of serum in adults is:
a. 1:2
b. 1:3
c. 1:10
d. 1:30
1:10
2. The most appropriate method for collecting a urine specimen from a
patient with an indwelling catheter is:
a. remove the catheter, cut the tip, and submit it for culture
b. disconnect the catheter from the bag, and aseptically collect urine from
the terminal end of the catheter
c. aseptically collect urine directly from the drainage bag
d. aspirate urine aseptically from the catheter tubing
aspirate urine aseptically from the catheter tubing
3. Which of the following groups of specimens would be acceptable for
anaerobic culture?
a. vaginal swab, eye swab
b. intraoral surface swab, leg tissue
c. pleural fluid, brain abscess fluid
d. urine, sputum
pleural fluid, brain abscess fluid
4. Sodium polyanetholsulfonate (SPS) is used as an anticoagulant for
blood cultures because it:
a. inactivates penicillin and cephalosporins
b. prevents clumping of red cells
,c. inactivates neutrophils and components of serum complement
d. facilitates growth of anaerobes
inactivates neutrophils and components of serum complement
5. The optimal collection of a wound specimen for culture of anaerobic
organisms is a:
a. swab of lesion obtained before administration of antibiotics
b. swab of lesion obtained after administration of antibiotics
c. syringe filled with pus, obtained before administration of antibiotics
d. syringe filled with pus, obtained after administration of antibiotics
syringe filled with pus, obtained before administration of antibiotics
6. The most important variable in the recovery of organisms in adult
patients with bacteremia (bacterial sepsis) is:
a. subculture of all bottles at day 5 of incubation
b. the recommended volume of blood cultured
c. collection of daily blood culture sets for 3 consecutive days
d. collection of multiple blood culture sets from a single venipuncture
the recommended volume of blood cultured
7. Virus transport medium should contain agents that:
a. enable rapid viral growth during the transport time
b. inhibit bacterial and fungal growth
c. destroy nonpathogenic viruses
d. inhibit complement-fixing antibodies
inhibit bacterial and fungal growth
8. A bronchoscopy sample with the request for culture of Legionella is sent
to the laboratory. The correct plating protocol is:
a. culture on thiosulfate citrate bile salt media
b. incubate the culture media anaerobically
c. reject the specimen and request a sputum sample
d. culture on buffered charcoal yeast extract agar with antibiotics
culture on buffered charcoal yeast extract agar with antibiotics
,9. A community hospital microbiology laboratory is processing significant
numbers of stool cultures because of an outbreak of diarrhea following
heavy rains and flooding in the county. A media that should be
incorporated in the plating protocol is:
a. colistin nalidixic acid for Listeria
b. MacConkey agar with sorbitol for Campylobacter
c. mannitol salt agar for Enterococcus species
d. thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose for Vibrio species
thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose for Vibrio species
10. A male urethral discharge specimen submitted for culture should be
inoculated to:
a. sheep blood and phenylethyl alcohol agars
b. eosin-methylene blue and sheep blood agars
c. thioglycollate broth and chocolate agar
d. chocolate and modified Thayer-Martin agars
chocolate and modified Thayer-Martin agars
11. The steam autoclave method of sterilization requires:
a. 15 Ib of pressure for 15 minutes
b. dry heat for 20 minutes
c. a maximum temperature of 100C
d. a source of ethylene oxide
15 Ib of pressure for 15 minutes
12. Which selective medium is used for the isolation of gram-positive
microorganisms?
a Columbia CNA with 5% sheep blood
b trypticase soy agar with 5% sheep blood
c eosin methylene blue
d modified Thayer-Martin
Columbia CNA with 5% sheep blood
13. Campylobacter jejuni isolation requires the fecal specimen be:
a. inoculated onto selective plating media and incubated in reduced
, oxygen with added CO2 at 42C
b. stored in tryptic soy broth before plating to ensure growth of the
organism
c. inoculated onto selective plating media and incubated at both 35C and
at room temperature
d. incubated at 35C for 2 hours in Cary-Blair media before inoculating onto
selective plating media
inoculated onto selective plating media and incubated in reduced oxygen with
added CO2 at 42C
14. Which of the following specimen requests is acceptable?
a. feces submitted for anaerobic culture
b. Foley catheter tip submitted for aerobic culture
c. rectal swab submitted for direct smear for gonococci
d. urine for culture of acid-fast bacilli
urine for culture of acid-fast bacilli
15. A cerebrospinal fluid specimen containing only 2 drops CSF was
collected by a lumbar puncture from a febrile 25-year-old male and was
submitted for a stat Gram stain and culture. The direct specimen Gram
stain was reported as many neutrophils and no microorganisms seen. The
remaining drop of CSF should be inoculated to:
a. blood agar
b. CNA agar
c. chocolate agar
d. Thayer-Martin agar
chocolate agar
16. A diabetic foot swab from a 82-year-old woman with recurrent
infections is submitted for culture. The Gram stain reveals:
many neutrophils, no squamous epithelial cells
many gram-negative bacilli
many gram-positive cocci in chains
The physician requests that all pathogens be worked up. In addition to the
AND ACCURATE WITH ALL INFORMATION YOU
NEED TO PASS.
1. The proper blood-to-broth ratio for blood cultures to reduce the
antibacterial effect of serum in adults is:
a. 1:2
b. 1:3
c. 1:10
d. 1:30
1:10
2. The most appropriate method for collecting a urine specimen from a
patient with an indwelling catheter is:
a. remove the catheter, cut the tip, and submit it for culture
b. disconnect the catheter from the bag, and aseptically collect urine from
the terminal end of the catheter
c. aseptically collect urine directly from the drainage bag
d. aspirate urine aseptically from the catheter tubing
aspirate urine aseptically from the catheter tubing
3. Which of the following groups of specimens would be acceptable for
anaerobic culture?
a. vaginal swab, eye swab
b. intraoral surface swab, leg tissue
c. pleural fluid, brain abscess fluid
d. urine, sputum
pleural fluid, brain abscess fluid
4. Sodium polyanetholsulfonate (SPS) is used as an anticoagulant for
blood cultures because it:
a. inactivates penicillin and cephalosporins
b. prevents clumping of red cells
,c. inactivates neutrophils and components of serum complement
d. facilitates growth of anaerobes
inactivates neutrophils and components of serum complement
5. The optimal collection of a wound specimen for culture of anaerobic
organisms is a:
a. swab of lesion obtained before administration of antibiotics
b. swab of lesion obtained after administration of antibiotics
c. syringe filled with pus, obtained before administration of antibiotics
d. syringe filled with pus, obtained after administration of antibiotics
syringe filled with pus, obtained before administration of antibiotics
6. The most important variable in the recovery of organisms in adult
patients with bacteremia (bacterial sepsis) is:
a. subculture of all bottles at day 5 of incubation
b. the recommended volume of blood cultured
c. collection of daily blood culture sets for 3 consecutive days
d. collection of multiple blood culture sets from a single venipuncture
the recommended volume of blood cultured
7. Virus transport medium should contain agents that:
a. enable rapid viral growth during the transport time
b. inhibit bacterial and fungal growth
c. destroy nonpathogenic viruses
d. inhibit complement-fixing antibodies
inhibit bacterial and fungal growth
8. A bronchoscopy sample with the request for culture of Legionella is sent
to the laboratory. The correct plating protocol is:
a. culture on thiosulfate citrate bile salt media
b. incubate the culture media anaerobically
c. reject the specimen and request a sputum sample
d. culture on buffered charcoal yeast extract agar with antibiotics
culture on buffered charcoal yeast extract agar with antibiotics
,9. A community hospital microbiology laboratory is processing significant
numbers of stool cultures because of an outbreak of diarrhea following
heavy rains and flooding in the county. A media that should be
incorporated in the plating protocol is:
a. colistin nalidixic acid for Listeria
b. MacConkey agar with sorbitol for Campylobacter
c. mannitol salt agar for Enterococcus species
d. thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose for Vibrio species
thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose for Vibrio species
10. A male urethral discharge specimen submitted for culture should be
inoculated to:
a. sheep blood and phenylethyl alcohol agars
b. eosin-methylene blue and sheep blood agars
c. thioglycollate broth and chocolate agar
d. chocolate and modified Thayer-Martin agars
chocolate and modified Thayer-Martin agars
11. The steam autoclave method of sterilization requires:
a. 15 Ib of pressure for 15 minutes
b. dry heat for 20 minutes
c. a maximum temperature of 100C
d. a source of ethylene oxide
15 Ib of pressure for 15 minutes
12. Which selective medium is used for the isolation of gram-positive
microorganisms?
a Columbia CNA with 5% sheep blood
b trypticase soy agar with 5% sheep blood
c eosin methylene blue
d modified Thayer-Martin
Columbia CNA with 5% sheep blood
13. Campylobacter jejuni isolation requires the fecal specimen be:
a. inoculated onto selective plating media and incubated in reduced
, oxygen with added CO2 at 42C
b. stored in tryptic soy broth before plating to ensure growth of the
organism
c. inoculated onto selective plating media and incubated at both 35C and
at room temperature
d. incubated at 35C for 2 hours in Cary-Blair media before inoculating onto
selective plating media
inoculated onto selective plating media and incubated in reduced oxygen with
added CO2 at 42C
14. Which of the following specimen requests is acceptable?
a. feces submitted for anaerobic culture
b. Foley catheter tip submitted for aerobic culture
c. rectal swab submitted for direct smear for gonococci
d. urine for culture of acid-fast bacilli
urine for culture of acid-fast bacilli
15. A cerebrospinal fluid specimen containing only 2 drops CSF was
collected by a lumbar puncture from a febrile 25-year-old male and was
submitted for a stat Gram stain and culture. The direct specimen Gram
stain was reported as many neutrophils and no microorganisms seen. The
remaining drop of CSF should be inoculated to:
a. blood agar
b. CNA agar
c. chocolate agar
d. Thayer-Martin agar
chocolate agar
16. A diabetic foot swab from a 82-year-old woman with recurrent
infections is submitted for culture. The Gram stain reveals:
many neutrophils, no squamous epithelial cells
many gram-negative bacilli
many gram-positive cocci in chains
The physician requests that all pathogens be worked up. In addition to the
