What is the purpose of standard precautions?

• A. To prevent transmitting pathogens from one person to another by treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious.
• B. To isolate residents with infectious diseases only.
• C. To avoid wearing gloves during care.
• D. To reduce hand hygiene frequency.

Answer: (A)

Standard precautions are baseline infection control practices used with every patient to prevent the spread of infection. The core idea is to treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious, so you apply barriers and hygiene consistently in every encounter. In practice, this means performing hand hygiene before and after each care activity, wearing gloves when you expect contact with blood or body fluids, and using other protective equipment like gowns, masks, or eye protection as the situation requires. It also includes safe needle handling and proper cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and equipment. Because these measures apply to all residents, not just those with known infections, the goal is universal protection.