Under Enhanced Barrier Precautions, when should staff don gown and gloves?

• A. Only when giving high-contact care
• B. For all patient contact
• C. Only for airborne pathogens
• D. Never wear gloves

Answer: (A)

Enhanced Barrier Precautions focus on protecting health care workers during activities with a higher risk of contact transmission. Donning a gown and gloves is done for high-contact care—care that involves direct interaction with the patient or the patient’s environment and could involve touching body sites, wounds, secretions, or contaminated surfaces. This approach provides protection where the risk is greatest while avoiding unnecessary PPE for low-risk tasks, helping conserve resources and reduce fatigue.

So, when staff are performing procedures like wound care, bathing, turning the patient, or assisting with hygiene—any care that brings them into closer, more frequent contact with the patient or surrounding surfaces—they should wear a gown and gloves. For tasks that pose lower risk, standard precautions plus hand hygiene may suffice. For scenarios involving airborne pathogens, other protective equipment applies, and gloves are not the sole protective measure to rely on. Wearing gloves and a gown for every patient interaction would be excessive and not in line with enhanced precautions.