West Coast EMT Block One Exam

While providing care to a patient, blood got onto the ambulance stretcher. Which route of transmission does this scenario describe?

1. direct contact

2. airborne transmission

3. indirect contact

4. vector-borne transmission

The correct answer is: indirect contact

In this scenario, the appropriate route of transmission is indirect contact. This occurs when a person comes into contact with an object or surface contaminated by an infected individual, rather than with the person themselves. When blood was transferred onto the ambulance stretcher, that surface became contaminated. If another person later touches that stretcher and then comes into contact with mucous membranes, such as their eyes, nose, or mouth, they may become infected. Direct contact would imply that the transmission occurs through immediate physical contact with the blood itself, which is not the case here since there is an intermediary surface involved. Airborne transmission involves pathogens that are transmitted through the air, typically via respiratory droplets, while vector-borne transmission refers to diseases spread by insects or other organisms. Thus, the scenario illustrates indirect contact as the means by which the potential for infection exists.