CCMA Study Guide
CCMA Infection Control: Sharps, Biohazard, Handwashing, Bleach
CCMA infection control memory card: sharps vs biohazard bag, never manual recap, 20-second handwashing, 1:10 bleach, and exposure basics.
By MedCertPrep Team · Updated August 20, 2026
This guide is a high-yield memory card for NHA CCMA infection control and safety actions: sharps disposal, biohazard waste, hand hygiene timing, and common surface disinfection ratios. It supports the Infection Control and Safety subdomain inside Clinical Patient Care. For related clinical cards, see order of draw and lab values. Official task language is in the NHA CCMA Test Plan. Facility policy always wins on the job.
What goes in a sharps container vs a biohazard bag?
| Container | What belongs there | Exam rule |
|---|---|---|
| Red sharps container | Needles, scalpels, broken capillary tubes, syringes with needles, other items that can puncture skin | Never force overflow. Never reach into a sharps box. Close and replace per protocol when fill line is reached |
| Red biohazard bag | Soft waste soaked with blood or body fluids, or items with drip/leak risk (for example heavily soiled gauze, contaminated disposables as defined by policy) | Soft contaminated waste, not sharps |
Do not place needles in a biohazard bag. Do not place non-sharp soft waste in a sharps container just because the bag is closer.
What is the rule about recapping needles?
Never recap needles manually as a routine step after injection or phlebotomy. Use safety-engineered devices and activate safety features as designed. If a stem offers "carefully recap with both hands" as an option, treat it as incorrect for standard safe practice.
How long should handwashing take?
Wash with running water and soap (plain or antimicrobial per protocol) for at least 20 seconds of scrubbing. Cover all surfaces of the hands and fingers, rinse, and dry with clean towels. Use alcohol-based hand rub when hands are not visibly soiled and policy allows, but visible soil or certain pathogen situations still require soap and water.
What bleach dilution is commonly taught for clinical surfaces?
Many CCMA study materials teach a 1:10 bleach dilution for clinical surfaces when bleach is the chosen disinfectant. That is commonly taught as 1 part bleach to 9 parts water (about 10% of the total volume). Some exam stems phrase it as "1:10 bleach to water." Always follow the product label, contact time, and clinic policy. Do not mix bleach with ammonia or incompatible cleaners.
What is the correct PPE donning and doffing order?
Sequence matters on CCMA stems because wrong order defeats infection control.
Donning (putting on) order
- Gown
- Mask (or respirator, as applicable)
- Goggles / face shield
- Gloves (over gown cuffs)
Doffing (removing) order: most-contaminated items first
- Gloves (most likely to be contaminated)
- Goggles / face shield (remove from behind)
- Gown (roll away from body, touching inside only)
- Mask or respirator (remove from behind; last because it protects airway)
Perform hand hygiene immediately after glove removal and again after all PPE is removed.
Pro Tip: Doffing question stems often ask "what should the MA remove first?" The gloves are the highest-contamination item and come off first. The mask comes off last.
What are the transmission-based precaution types?
Standard precautions apply to all patients regardless of diagnosis. Transmission-based precautions are added for specific known or suspected infections.
| Precaution type | Disease examples (study set) | Key addition beyond standard |
|---|---|---|
| Contact | C. diff, MRSA, wound infections | Gown and gloves for all contact with patient or environment; private room preferred |
| Droplet | Influenza, pertussis, mumps, rubella | Surgical mask within about 3 feet (some current policies use greater distance); private room or spatial separation |
| Airborne | Tuberculosis (TB), measles, varicella (chickenpox) | N95 respirator (fit-tested); negative-pressure room; door closed. Varicella also needs contact precautions |
Memory cue: Contact = touch, Droplet = 3 feet, Airborne = air/N95/negative pressure.
Practice: tuberculosis airborne precautions and sterilization vs disinfection.
C. diff is contact precautions and requires soap-and-water handwashing because alcohol hand sanitizer alone does not reliably destroy C. diff spores.
How do sterilization and disinfection differ?
| Level | Kills | Used for | Common method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterilization | All microorganisms including spores | Critical items entering sterile tissue (surgical instruments, implants) | Autoclave (steam under pressure), dry heat, chemical sterilant |
| High-level disinfection | All microorganisms except high levels of spores | Semi-critical items touching mucous membranes (endoscopes, laryngoscopes) | Glutaraldehyde, hydrogen peroxide solutions |
| Low/intermediate disinfection | Most bacteria, some viruses and fungi; not spores | Noncritical items touching intact skin (stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, exam table surfaces) | EPA-registered disinfectant, 1:10 bleach for body fluid spills |
Exam rule: instrument-level matches item risk. Do not autoclave a stethoscope or wipe a surgical instrument down and call it sterile.
What other infection-control actions show up on CCMA stems?
High-yield themes from the Test Plan and common prep stems:
- Standard and universal precautions applied to all patients
- PPE donning/doffing sequence (gloves first off, mask last)
- Hand hygiene before and after patient contact and after glove removal
- Medical vs surgical asepsis choices for the procedure in the stem
- Sterilization and disinfection differences (autoclave vs surface disinfectant)
- Post-exposure steps after a needlestick (wash, report, follow exposure plan)
- Correct disposal pathway after injections and capillary sticks
Pro Tip: When two answers both sound clean, pick the one that protects the next worker as well as the patient: sharps in sharps, no manual recap, hygiene timed correctly.
How should I study infection control for the CCMA?
- Memorize sharps vs biohazard in one flash card.
- Try scenario items: TB airborne precautions and sterilization vs disinfection.
- Add: no manual recap, wash ≥20 seconds, 1:10 bleach for surfaces when bleach is indicated.
- Practice PPE and exposure stems in Clinical Patient Care.
- Connect phlebotomy safety to order of draw.
- Take a mixed safety set on free CCMA practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a used needle in a red biohazard bag if I wrap it first?
No. Needles and other sharps belong in a puncture-resistant sharps container, not a soft bag.
Is it ever okay to recap a needle with two hands?
Standard teaching for CCMA safety is never manually recap. Use safety devices and approved one-handed or engineered methods only when policy specifically requires a recap scenario.
How long do I scrub when washing hands with soap and water?
At least 20 seconds of scrubbing, not including the time to turn on the water only.
What does 1:10 bleach mean on the exam?
Common study language means a 1:10 dilution, usually taught as 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. Some stems say "1 to 10." Match the option closest to that teaching ratio, then follow product label and clinic policy on the job.
What should I do after a needlestick?
Follow the exposure control plan: immediate first aid/wash, notify the appropriate supervisor or occupational health channel, and complete required documentation and follow-up testing steps. Do not hide the event.
Where does infection control sit in the CCMA blueprint?
Inside Clinical Patient Care, Infection Control and Safety (15 scored items) on the NHA CCMA Test Plan.
Turn safety rules into automatic answers
- Recite sharps vs biohazard and the no-manual-recap rule.
- Add handwashing time and 1:10 bleach to the same card.
- Drill safety stems in Clinical Patient Care.
- Review related guides: EKG leads, lab values, CCMA study guide.
- Keep your schedule on the CCMA study plan and see Pricing when you need fuller bank access.
Safe disposal and hygiene are not soft topics on this exam. Memorize the rules, then practice the scenario stems.
Practice what you just read
Use blueprint-aligned questions and timed mocks for CCMA to turn this guide into exam-day readiness.