What determines which protective equipment is used during a given patient interaction?

1. Application of Standard Precautions during care is determined by the nature of the interaction and the extent of anticipated exposure to blood, body fluid or pathogens. 2. Venipuncture may need only gloves, while intubation needs gloves, gown and face shield or mask and goggles. 3. So the same nurse wears different equipment for two patients with the same diagnosis, because the tasks differ. 4. Recorded infection status cannot drive the choice, since Standard Precautions apply whatever that status says. 5. Staff numbers have no bearing on what any one of them is exposed to. 6. A ward-level isolation category would ignore the task in front of the person choosing the equipment. _Source: CDC Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings (2007), Part III, section III.A. Standard Precautions_