In infection prevention, which measures help break the chain of infection?

In infection prevention, which measures help break the chain of infection?

• A. Regular hand hygiene, proper use of PPE, environmental cleaning, and vaccination.
• B. Skipping gloves to speed up care.
• C. Reusing same masks.
• D. Delaying cleaning after procedures.

Answer: (C)

Breaking the chain of infection means interrupting the steps a pathogen uses to spread and to find a susceptible host. Regular hand hygiene removes microbes from hands before they touch patients or surfaces, preventing transfer. Proper use of personal protective equipment creates a barrier that reduces exposure to infectious material. Environmental cleaning eliminates organisms on surfaces that could be touched and spread. Vaccination lowers the number of people who can become infected, reducing overall transmission within a setting. The other options don’t fit because skipping gloves removes a crucial protective barrier and increases transmission risk; reusing the same masks can contaminate surfaces and hands and does not reliably reduce spread; delaying cleaning leaves contaminated surfaces that can transfer pathogens to people and objects.

Breaking the chain of infection means interrupting the steps a pathogen uses to spread and to find a susceptible host. Regular hand hygiene removes microbes from hands before they touch patients or surfaces, preventing transfer. Proper use of personal protective equipment creates a barrier that reduces exposure to infectious material. Environmental cleaning eliminates organisms on surfaces that could be touched and spread. Vaccination lowers the number of people who can become infected, reducing overall transmission within a setting.

The other options don’t fit because skipping gloves removes a crucial protective barrier and increases transmission risk; reusing the same masks can contaminate surfaces and hands and does not reliably reduce spread; delaying cleaning leaves contaminated surfaces that can transfer pathogens to people and objects.