Protective eyewear is included as PPE in which precautions?

• A. Droplet and contact precautions
• B. Airborne precautions
• C. Standard precautions
• D. All of the above

Answer: (A)

Eye protection is used to shield the eyes from infectious material when there's a real risk that droplets or splashes could reach the mucous membranes. In droplet precautions, infectious particles travel in larger droplets that can land on the face, including the eyes, so protecting the eyes with goggles or a face shield is part of the PPE approach. In contact precautions, while the main protection targets skin and clothing with gloves and a gown, eye protection is also worn when there’s a chance of splashes or sprays reaching the eyes during care. By contrast, airborne precautions focus primarily on respirators for inhalation protection, and standard precautions are the baseline measures with PPE used as needed for exposure risks, not a fixed eyewear mandate. Therefore, protective eyewear is included with droplet and contact precautions.