What is the purpose of standard and transmission-based precautions in infection control?

• A. To prevent pathogen transmission; standard precautions apply to all patients; transmission-based precautions apply to suspected or confirmed infections.
• B. To reduce nurse workload.
• C. To standardize medication administration.
• D. To manage patient nutrition.

Answer: (A)

Preventing the spread of infections in healthcare settings. Standard precautions are the baseline practices used with every patient to minimize transmission risk—hand hygiene, gloves and other PPE when contact with blood, body fluids, or non-intact skin is possible, safe injection practices, respiratory hygiene, and proper cleaning/disinfection. Transmission-based precautions are layered on when a patient is suspected or confirmed to have an infection that could spread by specific routes; they add targeted measures such as contact precautions (gloves and gown), droplet precautions (mask and eye protection as needed), or airborne precautions (special respirator and negative-pressure room). Together, these precautions aim to stop pathogen transmission rather than affect workload, medication administration, or nutrition.