Which practice is best described by universal precautions?

Which practice is best described by universal precautions?

• A. Only perform when patient is known to be infectious
• B. Treat all human blood and certain body fluids as potentially infectious and use PPE to prevent transmission.
• C. Use PPE only after completing a procedure
• D. PPE is optional for routine care

Answer: (B)

Universal precautions means treating all human blood and certain body fluids as potentially infectious and using PPE to prevent transmission. This approach acknowledges that you may not know a patient’s infection status, so you apply protective barriers every time there could be exposure to blood or fluids. PPE like gloves, masks, eye protection, and gowns, along with proper hand hygiene, are used before and during patient care to block transmission. It isn’t limited to known infections, nor should PPE be reserved only after a procedure, and PPE isn’t optional for routine care.

Universal precautions means treating all human blood and certain body fluids as potentially infectious and using PPE to prevent transmission. This approach acknowledges that you may not know a patient’s infection status, so you apply protective barriers every time there could be exposure to blood or fluids. PPE like gloves, masks, eye protection, and gowns, along with proper hand hygiene, are used before and during patient care to block transmission. It isn’t limited to known infections, nor should PPE be reserved only after a procedure, and PPE isn’t optional for routine care.