1. Universal Precautions

2. Definition
• Universal precautions are
recommended practices used to
minimize the risk of exposure to
infectious diseases and
pathogens(germs) carried in blood and
body fluids

3. Bloodborne Pathogens
• Blood borne pathogens are infectious
microorganisms in blood that can cause
disease in people

4. Example of Blood Borne
Pathogens
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• HIV

5. Hepatitis B
• Transmitted by blood
• Sexually transmitted
• IV drug users
• Household contact(sharing razors,
toothbrushes, drinking after person)
• Can be treated with medications
• Vaccine available

6. Hepatitis C
• Primarily blood borne
• Sexual transmission
• Prenatal
• Can be transmitted by blood to blood contact
such as non-sterile tattoos, syringes, cuts, etc
• No vaccine is available
• May be treated with medication if chronic and
causing liver damage

7. HIV/Aids
• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
• Live vaccines should not be administered
• Follow universal precautions such as
handwashing, proper handling and disposal
of sharps/contaminated materials
• Cleaning/disinfecting after any contact with
blood
• Personal protection barriers;gloves, masks,
goggles, etc as needed

8. Common Ways to be exposed to
Pathogens in the School Setting
• Nosebleeds
• Lost teeth
• Cuts
• Fights
• Vomit
• Bathroom accidents/soiled clothing
• Contaminated surfaces
• Tissues/bandages

9. Modes of Pathogen
Transmission
• Contact from skin to skin or from
contaminated surfaces
• Air-born infectious particles in the air
• Droplets from sneezing, coughing, or
talking

10. Body Fluids
• When dealing with any body fluids
assume that every person has an
infectious disease

11. Protocol for safely dealing with
exposure to blood and other potentially
infectious materials
• Essential techniques used to control
infections are: effective hand hygiene,
using gloves and other barriers,
disposing of waste appropriately, and
cleaning spills promptly and carefully

12. Hand Hygiene
• Hand hygiene is the single most
important activity to decrease the
spread of infections of all kinds

13. Hand Hygiene
• Wash your hands after using the restroom;
before eating; before touching your mouth, face,
or eyes
• Should have access to warm water, soap, and
towels
• Waterless hand sanitizer may be used if there is
no visible soiling of hands; should not be
substituted for soap/water; always wash with
soap/water after several uses of hand sanitizer
• After wearing gloves

14. Hand Hygiene
• Apply a dime sized amount of
soap/cleaner to hands
• Rub hands vigorously for 10-15
seconds
• Scrub between fingers, under nails,
tops of hands and wrist. Sing Yankee
Doodle Dandy or Happy Birthday to
ensure you spend enough time!

15. Barriers
• Always wear gloves or place some type
of barrier between you and the person
you are caring for
• Always wear gloves during clean up
procedures

16. Skin wounds
• Skin wounds such as scratches,
abrasions, lacerations, and weeping
skin lesions are potentially infectious
• Cover all wounds with a secure
bandage
• The injured person should perform
his/her own wound care whenever
possible

17. Skin wounds
• Students should be instructed not to
handle other people’s blood;should not
be asked to assist in controlling a
bleeding injury,should not clean blood
contaminated enviromental
surfaces(such as floors or wrestling
mats) or handle contaminated laundry

18. Blood
• Blood on the skin should be washed off
thoroughly with soap and water.
• Activities may be resumed after the
wound is covered as long as the injury
is minor

19. Pressure to stop a bleeding
wound
• Always wear gloves
• Gloves should never be reused
• Apply new bandage over bandage if
saturated with blood

20. Clean up Procedure
• Always use disposable towels for
cleaning up blood or body fluids
• Clean surfaces with an approved
disinfectant for schools
• Wet surface with disinfectant; leave on
wet for 10 minutes, wipe dry
• Bleach is not used in WCPS

21. Clean up Procedure
• All materials contaminated with
blood/body fluids should be double
bagged in a trash liner and sealed
• Gloves should be disposed of in trash
• Trash liners should not be reused
• Trash should be discarded as soon as
possible

22. Non-disposable cleaning
equipment and materials
• Mop heads should be disinfected with
approved school disinfectant
• Any linens should be stored in a plastic
bag until laundered
• Thoroughly wash hands after cleaning
even if gloves were worn

23. Used needles, syringes, other
sharp objects
• Needles should not be recapped, bent
or removed from the syringe before
disposal
• Each school clinic has a Sharps
container for all needles
• When the container is 3/4 full; notify the
facilities manager by work order that a
pick up is needed

24. Respiratory Etiquette
• Always cover mouth/nose when
coughing/sneezing
• Use a tissue to cover mouth or blow nose;
dispose of in trash
• Use sleeve/arm instead of hands
• Wash hands or use hand sanitizer after
sneezing/coughing or blowing nose

25. MRSA
• Stands for “Methicillin Resistant
Staphylococcus Aureus”
• Became a “super bug” because of
overuse of antibiotics by the health care
community
• Is resistant to commonly used
antibiotics

26. Treatment of MRSA
• MRSA can be treated by sulfa drugs and
Clindamycin
• It is easily killed by good hand hygiene; hand
sanitizers and washing with soap/water
• Most forms encountered in schools only
cause simple skin infections
• Report any weeping skin lesions to school
nurse; even “acne” on face if openly oozing

27. Exposure
• Do not share towels, drink after others,
share razors, toothbrushes
• Even though blood borne pathogens
have not been shown to be transmitted
in saliva, you should not share personal
items
• Blood borne pathogen infections, even
when treated, may sometimes be fatal

28. Education
• Attention to infection prevention and
control by all school employees will help
attain the goal of maintaining student
and employee health.
• Teachers and nurses need to be alert to
patterns of illness that may emerge