Which PPE is required for standard precautions?

• A. Hand hygiene; gloves for contact with body fluids; additional PPE (gown, mask, eye protection) as indicated.
• B. Hand hygiene only
• C. Gloves only
• D. Gown and mask must always be worn

Answer: (A)

Standard precautions begin with protecting both you and the patient from exposure, and the foundation is hand hygiene followed by the use of gloves for any contact with body fluids, mucous membranes, or non‑intact skin. Hand hygiene is done before you touch a patient and after removing gloves, forming a baseline barrier against transmission. Gloves are essential whenever there is contact with body fluids or when you might come into contact with mucous membranes or broken skin.

But gloves alone don’t shield against splashes to the face or contamination of clothing, skin, or the surrounding environment. That’s why additional PPE—gown, mask, and eye protection or face shield—is used when there’s a risk of splashes, sprays, droplets, or aerosols, or when caring for patients with infections that require added precautions. These items are not needed for every interaction; they’re added as the exposure risk warrants.

So the best approach for standard precautions is to perform hand hygiene, wear gloves for contact with body fluids, and add gown, mask, or eye protection as indicated by the level of exposure risk.