Standard Precautions
- 1. Hand hygiene
Summary technique:
· Hand washing (40–60 sec): wet hands and apply soap; rub all surfaces; rinse hands and dry thoroughly with a single use towel; use towel to turn off faucet.
· Hand rubbing (20–30 sec): apply enough product to cover all areas of the hands; rub hands until dry.
Summary indications:
· Before and after any direct patient contact and between patients, whether or not gloves are worn.
· Immediately after gloves are removed.
· Before handling an invasive device.
· After touching blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, non-intact skin, and contaminated items, even if
· gloves are worn.
· During patient care, when moving from a contaminated to a clean body site of the patient.
· After contact with inanimate objects in the immediate vicinity of the patient.
2. Gloves
· Wear when touching blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, mucous membranes, non intact skin.
· Change between tasks and procedures on the same patient after contact with potentially infectious material.
· Remove after use, before touching non-contaminated items and surfaces, and before going to another patient.
· Perform hand hygiene immediately after removal.
3. Facial protection (eyes, nose, and mouth)
· Wear a surgical or procedure mask and eye protection (face shield, goggles) to protect mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth during activities that are likely to generate splashes or sprays of blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions.
4. Gown
· Wear to protect skin and prevent soiling of clothing during activities that are likely to generate splashes or sprays of blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions.
· Remove soiled gown as soon as possible, and perform hand hygiene.
5. Prevention of needle stick injuries
Use care when:
· Handling needles, scalpels, and other sharp instruments or devices
· Cleaning used instruments
· Disposing of used needles.
6. Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
Persons with respiratory symptoms should apply source control measures:
· Cover their nose and mouth when coughing/sneezing with tissue or mask, dispose of used tissues and masks, and perform hand hygiene after contact with respiratory secretions.
· Health care facilities should:
· Place acute febrile respiratory symptomatic patients at least 1 metre (3 feet) away from others in common waiting areas, if possible.
· Post visual alerts at the entrance to health-care facilities instructing persons with respiratory symptoms to practise respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette.
· Consider making hand hygiene resources, tissues and masks available in common areas and areas used for the evaluation of patients with respiratory illnesses.
7. Environmental cleaning
· Use adequate procedures for the routine cleaning and disinfection of environmental and other frequently touched surfaces.
8. Linens
Handle, transport, and process used linen in a manner which:
· Prevents skin and mucous membrane exposures and contamination of clothing.
· Avoids transfer of pathogens to other patients and or the environment.
9. Waste disposal
· Ensure safe waste management.
· Treat waste contaminated with blood, body fluids,
· Secretions and excretions as clinical waste, in accordance with local regulations.
· Human tissues and laboratory waste that is directly associated with specimen processing should also be treated as clinical waste.
· Discard single use items properly.
10. Patient care equipment
· Handle equipment soiled with blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions in a manner that prevents skin and mucous membrane exposures, contamination of clothing, and transfer of pathogens to other patients or the environment.
· Clean, disinfect, and reprocess reusable equipment appropriately before use with another patient.
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