Final answer:
Preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections involves measures like hand hygiene and sterilizing care items. The use of transmission-based precautions, such as patient isolation and disinfecting practices, are vital. Over-prescribing antibiotics is not a prevention method and can lead to resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) is crucial in ensuring patient safety and controlling the spread of infectious diseases within healthcare settings. Among the options provided for HAI prevention, sterilizing all care items and hand hygiene before and after giving care are important measures. The practice of hand hygiene is the single most important behavior to prevent infections. It is essential for healthcare workers to wash their hands thoroughly between every patient contact.
In the provided scenario, Marisa was isolated to prevent her infection from spreading. This highlights the use of transmission-based precautions which include patient isolation as well as rigorous hand hygiene and disinfection practices. Over-prescribing antibiotics is not a measure to prevent HAIs; rather, it can contribute to antibiotic resistance.