Name three core infection prevention practices that should be observed in all patient encounters.

• A. Vaccination, nutrition, sleep
• B. Hand hygiene, use of PPE when indicated, and safe handling/cleaning of equipment and environment
• C. Hand hygiene only
• D. PPE always, regardless of indication

Answer: (B)

In all patient encounters, preventing transmission hinges on three practical actions that interrupt how infections spread: hand hygiene, use of PPE when indicated, and safe handling and cleaning of equipment and the patient care environment. Hand hygiene is the primary defense because hands are a common vehicle for transferring microbes between patients, surfaces, and healthcare workers. Performing hand hygiene before touching a patient, after potential contamination, and after removing gloves dramatically reduces the chance of spreading pathogens. PPE is used when the level of exposure risk warrants it—gloves for contact with body fluids, masks or eye protection for droplets, gowns for clothing protection, and so on. Using PPE appropriately protects both the patient and the caregiver, and it should be based on the specific interaction and risk rather than applied universally in every situation. Safe handling and cleaning of equipment and the environment ensures that contaminated items and surfaces don’t serve as reservoirs or transmission routes for pathogens between encounters.

The other options miss essential elements or misstate how prevention should be applied. Vaccination, nutrition, and sleep support overall health but are not immediate, in-the-mullet infection prevention steps observed in every patient encounter. Relying on hand hygiene alone leaves out the protective effect of PPE when indicated and the importance of keeping equipment and surroundings clean. And PPE used without regard to indication isn’t practical or evidence-based, as unnecessary PPE can hinder care and waste resources.