What precautions are appropriate when caring for a patient with HIV?

• A. Droplet precautions only.
• B. Contact precautions only.
• C. No special precautions needed.
• D. Standard precautions; gown if splashing body fluids is anticipated.

Answer: (D)

HIV is transmitted through blood and certain body fluids, not through casual contact or ordinary airborne droplets. In health care, the baseline approach is standard precautions for every patient, which includes proper hand hygiene and the use of gloves when there is potential for contact with blood or body fluids. You wear a gown if you anticipate splashing or soiling of clothing with body fluids. You would add mask and eye protection only if splashes or aerosols to the face are possible, and use safe needle practices to prevent needlestick injuries.

Droplet or contact precautions beyond standard precautions aren’t required for routine HIV care because the usual transmission routes aren’t via respiratory droplets or casual surface contact. So the safest, most appropriate approach is standard precautions for all patients, with a gown worn when there’s a risk of body-fluid splashes.