Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) Practice Exam

What preventative measure can help reduce the spread of impetigo?

1. Vaccination

2. Wearing gloves

3. Hand hygiene and wound care

4. Avoiding sun exposure

The correct answer is: Hand hygiene and wound care

The prevention of impetigo, a highly contagious skin infection commonly seen in children, is effectively addressed through proper hand hygiene and wound care. Maintaining clean hands is crucial, as the bacteria that cause impetigo can spread easily through direct contact or via contaminated surfaces. Regularly washing hands with soap and water, especially after touching a potentially infected area or assisting someone with impetigo, significantly reduces the risk of transmission. Additionally, proper wound care helps to prevent impetigo by ensuring that any cuts, scrapes, or insect bites are kept clean and covered. By minimizing the risk of bacteria infiltrating the skin through these open wounds, the likelihood of developing impetigo is diminished. While other options such as vaccination or using gloves are important in different contexts, they are not specifically designed to target the prevention of impetigo. Wearing gloves might protect healthcare providers during patient interactions but does not replace the need for comprehensive hygiene practices in everyday situations. Avoiding sun exposure is not relevant to impetigo prevention, as this skin condition is primarily linked to bacterial infection rather than environmental factors. Ultimately, promoting hand hygiene and proper wound care are the most effective measures to reduce the spread of this infection.