Which statement about standard precautions is true?

• A. They require use of PPE and hand hygiene for all patient contacts
• B. They are optional steps used only for high-risk patients
• C. They apply only to airborne diseases
• D. They are the minimum infection prevention practices applied to all patients to prevent transmission of disease

Answer: (D)

Standard precautions are the baseline infection prevention practices used with every patient, regardless of infection status, to prevent transmission of disease. They’re the minimum steps healthcare workers take to protect both patients and staff, including regular hand hygiene and the use of appropriate PPE based on the level of exposure risk, safe handling of needles and sharps, respiratory hygiene, and proper cleaning of equipment and surfaces. Because some infections aren’t obvious, applying these precautions to all patient encounters helps prevent spread across the care setting. The idea isn’t that PPE is required for every single contact, but that the overall practices are consistently applied to every patient to minimize transmission. They are not limited to airborne diseases, and they’re not optional steps for only high-risk patients.