When were standard precautions introduced?

• A. By the CDC in 1996
• B. In 1985 by OSHA
• C. In 2000 by WHO
• D. In 1990 by NIH

Answer: (A)

Standard precautions are the infection-control practices applied to all patient care to prevent transmission of infections, regardless of a patient’s known status. They emphasize treating blood, body fluids, nonintact skin, and mucous membranes as potentially infectious and require consistent use of hand hygiene, appropriate personal protective equipment, safe injection practices, and proper handling of instruments and contaminated materials.

They were introduced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1996 to unify earlier approaches—Universal Precautions and Body Substance Isolation—into one cohesive framework. This created a single, clear standard for protection that could be applied in all healthcare settings. While OSHA regulates employer responsibilities and exerts influence on how precautions are implemented, it did not originate the standard precautions. The WHO and NIH did not introduce them in the listed years.