Which action should be performed after removing PPE?

• A. Wash hands with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer after removing PPE
• B. Go to lunch
• C. Reuse PPE without cleaning
• D. Put PPE away in patient care area

Answer: (A)

The action after removing PPE is to perform hand hygiene. The moment you doff PPE, you can transfer any germs that were on the surfaces of the equipment to your hands or skin. Cleaning your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer right away removes or inactivates these potential contaminants, reducing the chance you'll spread them to yourself, others, or the next area you touch.

If your hands are visibly dirty or contaminated, washing with soap and water is preferred because it physically removes more grime and organisms. If your hands aren’t visibly dirty, an alcohol-based sanitizer is a quick and effective option.

Other actions would not reduce the risk of contamination after doffing PPE: going to lunch without cleaning hands can spread germs to food and people; reusing PPE without cleaning defeats the purpose of infection control; and putting PPE away in a patient care area can contaminate the environment and others.