In PPE doffing, which step immediately follows removing gloves?

• A. Remove gown.
• B. Remove eye protection.
• C. Perform hand hygiene.
• D. Wash hands.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is to clean your hands right after taking off gloves to prevent transferring any contaminants to the next pieces of PPE or to your mucous membranes. When gloves are removed, fingers and hands can still carry germs, so performing hand hygiene at this moment reduces the risk of self-contamination as you continue doffing the rest of the gear. After hand hygiene, you would proceed with removing the remaining PPE in a sequence that minimizes contact with contaminated surfaces, and if hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with certain organisms, wash with soap and water rather than using just an alcohol-based hand rub.