Which practice is a key element of standard precautions?

• A. Hand hygiene before and after patient contact
• B. Wearing sunglasses during examinations
• C. Using the same gloves for every patient without changing
• D. Disinfecting the room only after discharge

Answer: (A)

Standard precautions are a baseline approach to infection control used with all patients, because you never know who might be carrying an infection. The key element is hand hygiene before and after patient contact. Hands are the main way germs spread, so cleaning them before touching a patient prevents contaminating them, and cleaning them after care or after removing gloves prevents carrying germs to other patients, surfaces, or yourself. Hand hygiene should be done with an alcohol-based hand rub unless hands are visibly soiled, in which case soap and water is preferred.

The other options don’t fit standard precautions. Sunglasses don’t address infection control. Reusing the same gloves for multiple patients ignores their single-use purpose and easy cross-contamination. Disinfecting the room only after discharge overlooks the need to clean and disinfect between patients and after procedures; high-touch surfaces should be addressed as part of ongoing care, not just at the end.