Body Substance Isolation (BSI) is best described as

• A. A method to isolate patients from responders regardless of infection status
• B. PPE used only for known infections
• C. Comprehensive infection control method in which every patient is assumed to be infected
• D. A cleaning protocol for surfaces after contact

Answer: (C)

Body Substance Isolation means treating all patient contact as potentially infectious so protective barriers are used with every patient. This approach is a comprehensive infection control method that assumes every patient could be infected, not just those with known illness. By consistently using PPE such as gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection, and by following proper hand hygiene and barrier practices, responders reduce the risk of exposure to body substances regardless of the patient’s known infection status.

The other descriptions don’t fit as well: isolating patients from responders regardless of infection status implies a separation that isn’t the purpose of BSI. Using PPE only for known infections misses the core idea of protecting against unknown risks. Cleaning protocols after contact are important, but they don’t capture the proactive, all-patient precautionary stance that BSI mandates.