Which isolation precaution requires both gloves and gown?

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

Answer: (A)

Contact precautions are used to prevent transmission when the infectious agents spread by direct contact or via contaminated surfaces. To stop that route, you wear gloves to protect your hands from touching the patient or items in the environment, and a gown to keep your clothing and skin from becoming contaminated. This combination is what specifically targets contact transmission and is why gloves and gown are used together in this precaution.

Airborne precautions focus on protecting the airway, requiring a fit-tested N95 respirator (and usually a negative-pressure room), with gloves and gown as part of standard PPE but not the defining protection. Droplet precautions rely mainly on a mask to block large respiratory droplets, with gloves and gown used as needed for contact with secretions. Standard precautions are the baseline practices used with all patients, emphasizing hand hygiene and PPE according to anticipated exposure rather than a specific combination like gloves plus gown.