Primary purpose of standard precautions?

• A. To isolate patients
• B. To prevent transmission of infections from all patients
• C. To reduce hospital stay
• D. To prevent mislabeling

Answer: (B)

Standard precautions are about stopping the spread of infections by treating every patient as potentially infectious and using barrier protections in every care encounter. This means consistent hand hygiene before and after any contact, gloves for touching blood or body fluids, and gowns, masks, or eye protection when splashes or exposure to fluids are possible. It also includes safe needle practices, proper cleaning and disinfection of shared equipment and environments, safe waste disposal, and respiratory hygiene. Because these measures are applied with all patients, they help prevent transmission from anyone who might be carrying an infection. Isolation procedures are for protecting others when a specific infection is suspected or confirmed, which is different from the baseline approach of standard precautions. Standard precautions aren’t about shortening hospital stays or mislabeling, but about consistently reducing transmission risk.