2. DEFINITION
Standard Precautions
Previously known by various names including “universal
precautions”
Standard precautions are designed to reduce the risk of
transmission of bloodborne and other pathogens from
both recognized and unrecognized sources to a
susceptible host.
They are the basic level of infection control precaution
Hospital Infection is the result of a combination of
factors: Microbial source + Transmission + Susceptible
host = Infection
3. Standard precautions Transmission-based precautions
• Universal precautions
• Body substance isolation
•Airborne precautions
•Droplet precautions
•Contact precaution
4. Key Elements of Standard Precautions
1. Hand hygiene
2. Gloves
3. Mask, gogles, face masks
4. Gown
5. Prevention of needle stick & injuries from sharp instruments
6. Respiratory hygiene & cough etiquette
7. Environmental cleaning
8. Linens
9. Waste disposal
10. Patient care equipment WHO, 2007
PPE
5. Definitions of Hand hygiene
Hand-washing
Washing hands with plain soap and water
Antiseptic hand-wash
Washing hands with water and soap or other detergents
containing an antiseptic agent
Alcohol-based hand-rub
Rubbing hands with an alcohol-containing preparation
Surgical hand hygiene/antisepsis
Hand-washing or using an alcohol-based hand-rub before
operations by surgical personnel
Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-care Settings. MMWR 2002; vol. 51, no. RR-16.
9. PPE
PPE Working Condition
gloves should be used when touching blood, body fluids,
secretions, excretions, or contaminated items and
for touching mucous membranes and nonintact skin.
gowns should be used during procedures and patient care
activities when contact of clothing and/or exposed
skin with blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions
is anticipated. Aprons are sometimes used as PPE
over scrubs, such as in hemodialysis centers when
inserting a needle into a fistula.
Mask and
goggles or a
face shield
should be used during patient care activities that are
likely to generate splashes and sprays of blood, body
fluids, secretions, or excretions.
10. Activities at risk of sharp injury
Needle re-capping
Body fluids aliquoting
Open the tubes
Throw the sharps not to sharp container
Discard if 2/3 full
• HBV : 27 – 37% ( 30%)
• HCV : 3 – 10 % (3,0 %)
• HIV : 0,2 – 0,4% (0,3%)
11. Transmission-Based Precautions
Used in addition to Standard Precautions for
Specified Patients
Designed for the Care of Specified Patients
known or suspected to be infected by
epidemiologically important pathogens spread
by: airborne, droplet, or contact transmission.
12. Droplet Transmission
For infectious agents with droplet nuclei > 5 microns
Examples:
Pertussis
Meningococcal meningitis
Precaution Examples:
Private room
Mask if within 3’ of patient
13. Droplet Precautions
Prevent infection by
large droplets from
Sneezing
Coughing
Talking
Examples
Neisseria meningitidis
Pertussis
Influenza
14. Airborne Transmission
For infectious agents with droplet nuclei < 5
microns
Examples:
Tuberculosis
Measles
Precaution Examples
Isolation rooms under negative pressure
N95 or HEPA respirator use
15. Airborne Precautions for Avian
Influenza
Respiratory Protection
N95 respirator
• Patient in isolation/cohorting
• Patient Transport
Limit patient movement
and transport,
place a surgical mask
on the patient
Airborne isolation room, if available
Air exhaust to outside or
re-circulated with HEPA filtration
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. Contact Precautions
For protection against skin-to-skin contact and physical
transfer of microorganisms to a host from a source
Precaution Examples:
Private room
Handwashing
Glove changes
Examples
Scabies
VRE