During an EMS call, you should take standard precautions:

• A. immediately after completion of your primary assessment.
• B. after it has been determined that the patient is bleeding.
• C. before you load the patient into the ambulance.
• D. before exiting the ambulance and before actual patient contact.

Answer: (D)

Standard precautions should be in place before you have any patient contact. Donning the appropriate PPE before exiting the ambulance and before you actually touch or assess the patient provides protection from potential exposure to blood and other bodily fluids right from the moment you approach the scene. If you wait until after you determine bleeding or after you’ve completed the primary assessment or loaded the patient, you could be exposed during initial contact, assessment, or handling equipment. Applying PPE first also helps prevent contamination of the ambulance, equipment, and yourself as you begin the call. In practice, you wear the baseline PPE (gloves, and additional protection such as eye protection, mask, or gown as indicated) before you step out and start interacting with the patient, and you perform hand hygiene after removing PPE.