Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) Law and Ethics Practice Exam

Which group of infection control practices applies universally to all patients?

1. Standard precautions

2. Universal precautions

3. Transmission-based precautions

4. Infection prevention protocols

The correct answer is: Standard precautions

The correct answer is Standard precautions. This set of infection control practices is designed to protect both healthcare workers and patients by minimizing the risk of transmission of pathogens in any healthcare setting. Standard precautions apply universally to all patients, regardless of their diagnosis or presumed infection status. These practices include hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), safe handling and disposal of contaminated materials, cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, and respiratory hygiene. Universal precautions is a term historically used to refer to practices meant to protect healthcare workers from exposure to bloodborne pathogens specifically; however, it has largely been integrated and expanded into the concept of standard precautions. Transmission-based precautions, on the other hand, are additional measures implemented for patients known to be infected with or colonized by specific pathogens that pose a risk of transmission. Infection prevention protocols is a broader term that may encompass various practices, but does not specifically denote the universal applicability of measures to all patients like standard precautions do.