Which statement about standard precautions is true?

Which statement about standard precautions is true?

• A. Not required if gloves are worn.
• B. Apply to all residents regardless of infection status.
• C. Only apply to residents with known infections.
• D. Replace with isolation precautions for all residents.

Answer: (B)

Standard precautions are the baseline infection-control practices used for every resident to prevent the spread of infections. They cover protecting both residents and staff from exposure to blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes, as well as ensuring clean environment and safe handling of instruments and sharps. Because the risk of transmission can exist even when someone isn’t known to be infected, these measures are applied universally. This means you perform hand hygiene before and after every resident contact, wear gloves when touching potentially infectious materials, use other protective equipment as needed, follow safe injection practices, and keep surfaces and equipment clean. Gloves alone aren’t enough—hand hygiene before putting on gloves and after removing them is essential, and precautions aren’t limited to residents with known infections. The idea that precautions replace isolation for all residents isn’t accurate. Isolation precautions are additional measures used when a resident has a suspected or confirmed infection that requires extra steps beyond standard precautions.

Standard precautions are the baseline infection-control practices used for every resident to prevent the spread of infections. They cover protecting both residents and staff from exposure to blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes, as well as ensuring clean environment and safe handling of instruments and sharps. Because the risk of transmission can exist even when someone isn’t known to be infected, these measures are applied universally.

This means you perform hand hygiene before and after every resident contact, wear gloves when touching potentially infectious materials, use other protective equipment as needed, follow safe injection practices, and keep surfaces and equipment clean. Gloves alone aren’t enough—hand hygiene before putting on gloves and after removing them is essential, and precautions aren’t limited to residents with known infections.

The idea that precautions replace isolation for all residents isn’t accurate. Isolation precautions are additional measures used when a resident has a suspected or confirmed infection that requires extra steps beyond standard precautions.