Before handling any IV equipment, what basic practice should be performed?

• A. Thorough hand washing before handling IV
• B. Wear gloves without washing hands
• C. Rinse hands with cold water
• D. Sanitize hands after donning gloves

Answer: (A)

Hand hygiene before touching IV equipment is essential to prevent introducing infection. Thorough washing with soap and running water removes transient microorganisms and reduces skin flora that could contaminate IV lines or sterile components. Wearing gloves is helpful, but it does not replace clean hands— contaminants on the skin can transfer to gloves and then to the IV setup. Rinsing with cold water does not guarantee adequate removal of microbes and isn’t the recommended method. Sanitizing after donning gloves isn’t the correct sequence for aseptic tasks; the practice is to wash hands first, then apply gloves if needed. So, the best practice is a thorough hand wash before handling IV equipment.