When evaluating infection control, which practice most reduces the risk of hospital-acquired infection?

• A. Proper hand hygiene before and after patient contact
• B. Wearing gloves for every contact
• C. Using masks during all procedures
• D. Isolating all patients

Answer: (A)

Hand hygiene before and after patient contact is the most effective practice because it directly interrupts the main way infections spread in hospitals: hand-mediated transmission between patients, staff, and the environment. Cleaning hands removes transient pathogens and greatly reduces the chance of carrying organisms from one patient or surface to another. This remains essential even when gloves are used, since gloves can have holes or become contaminated during removal, and hand hygiene is still required before donning gloves and after removing them. While masks help with certain respiratory risks during specific procedures, they don’t address the majority of hospital-acquired infections that spread by touch. Isolating every patient is not practical and doesn’t tackle routine hand-to-hand transmission. In practice, use soap and water when hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with spores like C. difficile, otherwise an alcohol-based hand rub is effective and convenient for routine care.