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Standard Precautions in Healthcare

Standard Precautions are practices aimed at preventing the transmission of bloodborne pathogens, treating all patients' blood and body fluids as potentially infectious. Key components include hand hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), safe injection practices, environmental care, and proper handling of textiles and sharps. Effective hand hygiene methods and appropriate use of gloves, masks, gowns, and safe disposal of sharps are emphasized to minimize infection risks in healthcare settings.

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13 views23 pages

Standard Precautions in Healthcare

Standard Precautions are practices aimed at preventing the transmission of bloodborne pathogens, treating all patients' blood and body fluids as potentially infectious. Key components include hand hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), safe injection practices, environmental care, and proper handling of textiles and sharps. Effective hand hygiene methods and appropriate use of gloves, masks, gowns, and safe disposal of sharps are emphasized to minimize infection risks in healthcare settings.

Uploaded by

reamradwanten
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Standard Precaution

Eisa S Omar
MSc. Medical Microbiology
Department of Microbiology Faculty of Medicine
Tobruk University
Standard Precautions
Definition: set of practices designed to prevent
the transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and other
blood borne pathogens (bacteria and viruses).

Blood and other body fluids of all patients


should be considered potentially infectious,
these practices should be done for care of all
patients all times.
A. Hand Hygiene:
Hand washing is the single most effective
precaution for prevention of infection transmission
between patients and staff.
Types of hand hygiene:
1- Routine hand washing
Is the mechanical removal of soil and transient
bacteria.
Using plain soap and water.
Duration: for 40-60 seconds.
2- Hand antisepsis:
Is the removal & destroy of transient and reduction of resident
flora.
Using anti-microbial soap or antiseptic solution.
Duration: for 2-3 minutes.
3- Alcohol based hand rub:
Done if the hands are visibly clean.
Using 60-80% ethyle or isopropyle alcohol.
Duration: for 20-30 seconds.
4- Surgical hand scrub:
Done before surgical operations.
Using antiseptic solution with effective rubbing.
Duration: for 3-5 minutes.
Up to 5 cm above the elbow.
HOW TO HAND WASH?
B. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
1. Gloves:
Three types of gloves are used in hospitals:

A. Sterile gloves:
are used during surgical or any invasive procedures (central line or
urinary catheter insertion)

B. Non sterile gloves :


are used during direct contact with Blood/body fluid is expected.
Non-intact skin e.g. wound dressing.
Contaminated instruments or equipment.
C. Heavy duty gloves:
Used by housekeeping workers during environmental
cleaning.
Cleaning of contaminated equipment and dealing with
chemical disinfectants.

N.B. Both sterile and non-sterile gloves are single use


while heavy duty gloves can be reused after cleaning
and disinfection.
2. Masks & Protective eye wear:
a) Used during procedures that generate droplets of
blood/body fluids or bone chips e.g. during surgical
operations.
b) Masks must be of good quality, properly fixed on mouth
and nasal openings.

3. Gowns/ Aprons: Are required when:


a) Used if splashing of blood or body fluids is anticipated e.g.
surgical procedures.
b) Gowns must be impermeable (not permit blood or body
fluids to pass through).
C. Safe injection practices:
Use aseptic technique.
Use syringe, needle and fluid infusion set ONLY once.
(Changing the needle is not sufficient).
Use single-dose vials when possible.
Use multi-dose vials & store them according to manufacturer's
recommendation.

D. Care of environment:
Develop protocol for routine care, cleaning, and disinfection of
environmental surfaces, especially frequently touched surfaces in
patient-care areas.
F. Textiles and laundry:
▪ Must be handled, transported and processed in a manner to prevent
transfer of microorganisms to others and to the environment.

G. Sharps injury prevention:


▪ Do not recap, bend, break, or hand-manipulate used needles.
▪ If recapping is required, use a one-handed scoop technique only.
▪ Put used sharps containers characterized by:
o Yellow color
o Puncture -resistant
o Leak proof
o Has 3/4th fill line
o With biohazard label

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