Following standard precautions requires:

• A. Treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious and using PPE as indicated, plus hand hygiene
• B. Wearing PPE only after a splash risk
• C. Reusing disposable PPE for a week
• D. Skipping hand hygiene if gloves are worn

Answer: (A)

Standard precautions mean treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious and using the appropriate PPE for any anticipated exposure, along with diligent hand hygiene before and after care. This approach minimizes the risk of transmitting infections between the caregiver and patients. PPE is chosen based on the expected contact—gloves for touching bodily fluids or contaminated items; a gown if clothing could be splashed or contaminated; eye protection and masks when splashes or sprays are possible. Hand hygiene is essential regardless of gloves being worn, both before donning and after doffing PPE and after patient contact. PPE is typically used once and disposed of, not reused. Choosing PPE only after a splash risk delays protection; reusing disposable PPE is unsafe; and skipping hand hygiene when gloves are worn defeats the purpose.