Consolidated Political Compass Test (CPCT) Practice Exam 2025 - Free CPCT Practice Questions and Assessment Guide

When providing hygiene for a patient with Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), the appropriate type of precaution to follow is contact precautions. C. difficile is primarily spread through spores that are shed in the feces of an infected person. These spores can survive on surfaces for long periods and can be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces or items and then touching one's mouth or mucous membranes.

Contact precautions are designed to prevent the spread of bacteria or viruses that can be transmitted by direct or indirect contact with patients or their environment. In practice, this means that healthcare providers should wear gloves and gowns when interacting with the patient or when coming into contact with their environment.

Patients undergoing treatment for C. difficile may require a private room or cohorting with other similarly infected patients to minimize the spread of spores. Additionally, meticulous hand hygiene is essential, with the use of soap and water rather than hand sanitizer to ensure that the spores are effectively removed.

Although airborne, droplet, or standard precautions reflect different routes of disease transmission, they do not specifically address the unique challenges posed by C. difficile. Therefore, the emphasis on contact precautions ensures that appropriate measures are put in place to control the spread of this infection effectively.