What is the purpose of universal precautions?

• A. Protect caregivers/others from infectious diseases.
• B. Protect the aircraft from mechanical failure.
• C. Ensure comfortable cabin temperature.
• D. Improve in-flight meal safety.

Answer: (A)

Universal precautions are a safety approach designed to prevent the spread of infectious diseases during patient care or handling of potentially contaminated materials. The idea is to treat all human blood and certain body fluids as if they are infectious, and to use protective barriers and hygiene practices to reduce transmission. In an in-flight medical scenario, this means crew members use gloves and other protective equipment as needed, perform thorough hand hygiene, and safely manage and dispose of contaminated materials. The aim is to protect both the caregiver and other passengers from infectious diseases. This focus is unrelated to aircraft systems, cabin temperature control, or meal safety, which is why those options don’t fit.