Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

The concept of standard precautions is based on the assumption that:

1. Healthy patients do not pose a risk

2. Only specific patients require careful handling

3. Every patient is potentially infected or can spread an organism

4. Infection can only occur in hospital settings

The correct answer is: Every patient is potentially infected or can spread an organism

The concept of standard precautions is rooted in the understanding that every patient presents a potential risk for transmission of infections, regardless of their apparent health status. This approach promotes the idea that all blood, bodily fluids, secretions, and excretions are to be treated as potentially infectious. By operating under the assumption that any patient could harbor pathogens, healthcare providers maintain a consistent level of protective practices that minimize the risk of cross-contamination and the spread of infections within medical settings. This is crucial for both the protection of healthcare workers and the safety of other patients. In contrast, claiming that healthy patients do not pose a risk, that only specific patients require careful handling, or that infection occurs only in hospital settings undermines the rationale of standard precautions and could lead to inadequate safety measures and a higher chance of transmission.