Which actions are part of standard precautions to prevent transmission from all patients?

• A. Only gloves for all patient
• B. Hand hygiene, PPE as indicated, sterile technique when needed, and safe handling of equipment
• C. Isolate every patient regardless
• D. None of the above

Answer: (B)

Standard precautions are the baseline practices used with all patients to prevent the spread of infections. The core elements include performing hand hygiene before and after touching a patient or their surroundings, using personal protective equipment such as gloves, gowns, masks, or eye protection based on the expected exposure, applying sterile technique for invasive procedures when needed, and handling all equipment and contaminated items safely to prevent cross-contamination. This combination ensures protection across routine care and procedures, regardless of a patient’s infection status. Wearing gloves alone isn’t enough because hand hygiene and appropriate PPE for different situations are essential, and isolating every patient isn’t part of standard precautions—those measures are used for known or suspected infections. None of the above would be incorrect because the described set of practices correctly represents standard precautions.