PPE Selection by Exposure Risk

Key Points

• PPE must match the specific exposure risk and precaution type, not a maximal-all-items approach.
• Gloves, gowns, masks/respirators, and eye protection each protect different portals of entry.
• Correct selection, fit, and removal are required to prevent self-contamination and transmission.

Equipment

• Facility precaution guidance (standard, contact, droplet, airborne)
• Gloves (medical and sterile options as indicated)
• Isolation gowns and procedure-appropriate mask/respirator supply
• Goggles or face shield for splash/spray risk scenarios

Procedure Steps

1. Identify required precaution level and anticipated exposure before entering the care area.
2. Determine whether contact with blood, body fluids, contaminated surfaces, droplets, or airborne particles is likely.
3. Select gloves for hand contamination risk; choose sterile gloves for sterile procedures.
4. Add isolation gown when splash, fluid contact, or contact/droplet precautions indicate body/clothing protection.
5. Select surgical mask for droplet contexts or immunocompromised patient care per policy.
6. Select fit-checked N95 respirator when airborne protection is required.
7. Add goggles or face shield when tasks may generate splashes to eyes, nose, or mouth membranes.
8. Don PPE in safe sequence and ensure glove cuffs cover gown cuffs when both are used.
9. Remove PPE as soon as care ends per policy, discard correctly, and perform hand hygiene immediately.
10. Reassess selection if patient status, procedure type, or isolation order changes.

Common Errors

• Wearing all available PPE instead of risk-matched PPE → resource waste and potential technique errors.
• Using incorrect mask type for airborne context → inadequate respiratory protection.
• Omitting eye protection during splash-risk tasks → mucous membrane exposure risk.
• Skipping hand hygiene before/after glove use → continued transmission pathway.

Related

• personal-protective-equipment - Core PPE categories and protective roles.
• airborne-precaution-supply-readiness - Ensures required respiratory protection is available before entry.