Infection Control
What this domain covers
Infection control is the set of habits that keeps organisms from moving between residents, staff, and equipment. Standard precautions apply to every resident every time, because you cannot tell who is infectious by looking.
Hand hygiene. Wash with soap and running water when hands are visibly soiled, after using the toilet, and after contact with body fluids; otherwise use alcohol-based rub. Wash for at least 15–20 seconds with friction, cleaning under nails and between fingers. Hand hygiene is required before and after every resident contact, before and after glove use, and after removing PPE. Gloves are not a substitute for washing hands.
PPE order. Don gown first, then mask, then goggles or face shield, then gloves last, with gloves pulled over the gown cuffs. Remove in the reverse order - gloves, goggles, gown, then mask - doing hand hygiene after glove removal and again at the end. Keep artificial nails off and nails short; they harbor organisms.
Transmission-based precautions. Contact precautions (e.g., C. difficile, MRSA) mean gown and gloves and dedicated equipment. Droplet precautions (e.g., influenza) mean a mask plus standard precautions. Airborne precautions (e.g., tuberculosis) mean a fit-tested N95 respirator and a negative-pressure room. Residents on isolation still need humane contact - questions test whether you would neglect them.
Equipment and linen. Do not shake soiled linen; roll it inward and place it in the hamper without touching your uniform. Clean items move outward from the resident's room. Do not share razors, toothbrushes, or other personal items.
Traps. Watch for answers that reuse gloves between residents, skip hand hygiene because gloves were worn, or place a mask on before a gown.
Rule of thumb. "Clean hands, right PPE, in the right order, every time" - and when in doubt, wash your hands.