Which precautions require gown and gloves on entry and are used for organisms like C. diff and MRSA?

• A. Standard Precautions
• B. Contact Precautions
• C. Droplet Precautions
• D. Airborne Precautions

Answer: (A)

PPE is chosen by how an infection spreads. When an organism is transmitted by touch or through contaminated surfaces, the protective rule is to don a gown and gloves before entering the patient’s room to prevent transferring microbes to your clothing, skin, or other surfaces, and to keep the environment and other patients clean.

C. diff and MRSA are classic examples of infections spread by contact. C. diff forms hardy spores that can contaminate surfaces, so thorough glove and gown use on entry helps prevent spreading spores to hands and clothing. MRSA spreads mainly through direct hand contact or contact with contaminated surfaces, so gloves and a gown are worn when you enter to block transmission.

Droplet precautions are for organisms that travel in large respiratory droplets and would require a mask for close contact, not a gown-and-gloves-on-entry rule for every encounter. Airborne precautions involve an N95 respirator and typically a negative-pressure room due to transmission through small aerosol particles. Standard Precautions form the baseline for all patient care, guiding basic hand hygiene and PPE use, but when the risk is specifically via contact with contagious organisms like C. diff and MRSA, you apply Contact Precautions with gown and gloves at entry.