North Carolina Medication Aide (Med Tech) Practice Exam

What hygiene practice is most important to prevent infection in healthcare settings?

1. Wearing gloves

2. Handwashing

3. Regularly changing masks

4. Disinfecting surfaces

The correct answer is: Handwashing

Handwashing is considered the most crucial hygiene practice for preventing infection in healthcare settings. This is because hands are often the main vehicle for transmitting pathogens. When healthcare workers wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers, they significantly reduce the number of germs that can be passed from one person to another, thereby lowering the risk of infection transmission, both to patients and to themselves. While wearing gloves, regularly changing masks, and disinfecting surfaces all play important roles in maintaining hygiene and preventing infections, they are not as universally effective as handwashing. Gloves can become contaminated and may give a false sense of security if they are not changed appropriately or removed properly. Changing masks is critical in certain situations, particularly during airborne or droplet precautions, but it does not replace the need for proper hand hygiene. Disinfecting surfaces is important to eliminate germs from the environment but is most effective when combined with proper hand hygiene. Therefore, handwashing stands out as the foundational practice in infection control.