What is the simplest, most cost-effective, and primary nursing measure to prevent hospital-acquired infection and cross-infection among hospitalized patients?

1. A

   Daily prophylactic antibiotic administration

2. B

   Handwashing

3. C

   Wearing double masks at all times

4. D

   Isolating every patient in negative-pressure rooms

Appeared in: PGIMER Nursing Officer - 2025

Explanation

• Handwashing is the most effective and basic method to prevent transmission of infection in healthcare settings.
• It interrupts the spread of microorganisms between patients, staff, and the environment.
• Standard precautions require hand hygiene before and after patient contact, after removing gloves, and after contact with potentially infectious material.
• Hand hygiene is universally applicable, simple, and cost-effective.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: Daily prophylactic antibiotic administration is not recommended for all patients and promotes antibiotic resistance. It is not a primary or cost-effective preventive measure.
• Option C: Wearing double masks at all times is not necessary for all patients or staff and is not cost-effective. Masks are used for specific transmission-based precautions, not as a universal measure.
• Option D: Isolating every patient in negative-pressure rooms is impractical, extremely costly, and unnecessary for most patients. Negative-pressure rooms are reserved for airborne infections like tuberculosis.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Knowing Primary, cost-effective nursing measure for prevention of hospital-acquired infection helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
• Nurses must perform hand hygiene consistently to protect patients and themselves from infection.
• Hand hygiene compliance reduces rates of hospital-acquired infections and improves patient outcomes.
• What if? If hand hygiene is neglected, infection rates rise, leading to outbreaks, increased morbidity, and higher healthcare costs.

How to Approach the Question

• Identify the core requirement: simplest, most cost-effective, and primary nursing measure.
• Eliminate options that are costly, impractical, or not universally recommended.
• Recall standard precautions and infection control guidelines.
• Choose the measure that is universally applicable and supported by evidence for all patients.
• Remember that hand hygiene is the foundation of all infection prevention protocols.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Primary, cost-effective nursing measure for prevention of hospital-acquired infection
• Stem keywords: hospital-acquired infection, cross-infection, nursing measure, cost-effective, prevention
• Lead-in keywords: simplest, primary
• Clinical cues: Focus on cost-effectiveness and universal applicability

Question ID

QutKX09qGhR8XZCW5vsp5Q

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Reference Book

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart C (pp 404-604 of 604) p. 26-28

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 2 p. 234-236