Dental Assistant Practice Exam

What term describes the infection control practice that treats all blood as potentially infectious?

1. Contact precautions

2. Universal precautions

3. Isolation precautions

4. Biohazard precautions

The correct answer is: Universal precautions

The term that describes the infection control practice treating all blood as potentially infectious is known as "Universal precautions." This approach is foundational in healthcare settings to prevent the transmission of bloodborne pathogens and other infectious materials. Universal precautions require that healthcare workers assume that any blood or potentially infectious body fluid is capable of transmitting infection, regardless of the known health status of the patient. This means implementing practices such as using personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves, masks, and eye protection to reduce the risk of exposure. Other options, while relevant to infection control, do not embody the same broad applicability. Contact precautions are typically used to prevent the spread of infections through direct or indirect contact, while isolation precautions are more specific to isolating patients with known infections to protect other patients and healthcare personnel. Biohazard precautions focus on specific hazardous materials rather than encompassing all bodily fluids and blood, making universal precautions the most encompassing and fundamental term in this context.