This document provides an overview of standard infection control precautions (SICPs) which are basic measures to reduce infection transmission. It discusses 10 key elements of SICPs including hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, safe patient placement, respiratory hygiene, and safe management of equipment, linen and the care environment. Proper use of SICPs is important for all staff, in all care areas, at all times, and for all patients to ensure safety. SICPs help prevent transmission from both recognized and unrecognized infection sources.

1. INFECTION PREVENTION
AND CONTROL (IPC)
LECTURE II
(SICPs)
Dr. Mohammed Salah 1

2.  Standard infection control precautions (SICPs)
 SICPs are the basic infection prevention and control (IPC) measures necessary to reduce
the risk of transmitting infectious agents from both recognised and unrecognised sources
of infection.
 Standard infection control precautions (SICPs) are to be used by:
 all staff,
 in all care area,
 at all times,
 for all patients
 whether infection is known to be present or not, to ensure the safety of those being cared
for, staff and visitors in the care environment.
 Sources of (potential) infection include:
 blood and other body fluids,
 secretions or excretions (excluding sweat),
 non-intact skin or mucous membranes and
 any equipment or items in the care environment that could have become contaminated.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 2

3.  There are 10 elements of SICPs:
1. patient placement/assessment of infection risk
2. hand hygiene
3. respiratory and cough hygiene
4. personal protective equipment (PPE)
5. safe management of the care environment
6. safe management of care equipment
7. safe management of healthcare linen
8. safe management of blood and body fluids
9. safe disposal of waste (including sharps)
10. occupational safety/managing prevention of exposure (including sharps)
Dr. Mohammed Salah 3

4.  1. Patient placement/assessment for infection risk
 Mean that patients must be promptly assessed for infection risk on arrival at
the care area, e.g. inpatient/outpatient, (if possible, prior to accepting a patient
from another care area) and should be continuously reviewed throughout
their stay.
 This assessment should influence placement decisions in accordance with
clinical/care need(s).
 Patients who may present a cross-infection risk include those:
1. with diarrhea, vomiting, an unexplained rash, fever or respiratory
symptoms
2. known to have been previously positive with a multi-drug resistant
organism (MDRO), eg MRSA, CPE
Dr. Mohammed Salah 4

5.  2. Hand hygiene
 Hand hygiene is considered one of the most important ways to
reduce the transmission of infectious agents that cause
healthcare associated infections (HCAIs).
 Before performing hand hygiene:
I. expose forearms (bare below the elbow
II. remove all hand and wrist jewellery.
III. ensure fingernails are clean and short, and do not wear
artificial nails or nail products
IV. cover all cuts or abrasions with a waterproof dressing
Dr. Mohammed Salah 5

6.  2. Hand hygiene (cont.)
 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene
a) before touching a patient.
b) before clean or aseptic procedures.
c) after body fluid exposure risk
d) after touching a patient; and
e) after touching a patient’s immediate surroundings
Always perform hand hygiene before putting on and
after removing gloves.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 6

7. Dr. Mohammed Salah 7
 2. Hand hygiene (cont.)
Hands should be washed using soap, water and then dried:
BEFORE
‒ handling, preparing or eating food
BEFORE AND AFTER
‒ assisting students with eating/meals
‒ assisting students with toileting
‒ providing first aid or medication
‒ contact with an ill or injured person
AFTER
‒ contact with blood or body fluids
(this includes your own e.g. sneezing/coughing)
‒ removal of protective gloves
‒ using the toilet; and
‒ after contact with animals.

8.  3. Respiratory and cough hygiene
a) cover the nose and mouth with a disposable tissue when sneezing, coughing,
wiping and blowing the nose; if unavailable use the crook of the arm
b) dispose of all used tissues promptly into a waste bin
c) wash hands with non-antimicrobial liquid
soap and warm water after coughing,
sneezing, using tissues, or after contact
with respiratory secretions or objects
contaminated by these secretions
d) keep contaminated hands away from
the eyes nose and mouth
Dr. Mohammed Salah 8

9.  4. Personal protective equipment (PPE)
 All PPE must be:
a. located close to the point of use.
b. stored in a clean, dry area until required
c. single-use only unless specified by the manufacturer
d. changed immediately after each patient and/or after completing a procedure
or task
e. disposed of after use into the correct waste stream, e.g. domestic waste,
offensive (non-infectious) or clinical waste
f. discarded if damaged or contaminated
Avoiding overuse or inappropriate use of PPE is a key principle that ensures this
is risk-based and minimizes its environmental impact.
Reusable PPE such as non-disposable goggles/face shields/visors, must be
decontaminated after each use according to manufacturer’s instruction.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 9

10. • May include the following (task dependent):
• Gloves
• Aprons
• Full body gowns
• Eye / Face Protection
• Footwear
• Headwear
Single use only
Dr. Mohammed Salah 10
 4. Personal protective equipment (PPE)

11.  A) Gloves:
Dr. Mohammed Salah 11
• Gloves must be:
a) worn when exposure to blood and/or other body fluids, non-intact skin or mucous membranes is
anticipated
b) changed immediately after each patient and/or after completing a procedure/task even on the same
patient
c) changed if a perforation or puncture is suspected
d) sterile when worn in operating theatres and for insertion of central venous catheters, insertion of
peripherally inserted central catheters, insertion of pulmonary artery catheters and spinal, epidural and
caudal procedures
e) low risk of causing sensitisation to the wearer
f) appropriate for the tasks being undertaken, taking into account:
a) the substances being handled,
b) type and duration of contact,
c) size and comfort of the gloves,
d) the task and requirement for glove robustness and sensitivity

12.  B) Aprons
• Aprons must be:
• worn to protect uniform or clothes when contamination is anticipated or
likely, e.g. when in direct care contact with a patient.
• changed between patients and/or after completing a procedure or task
Dr. Mohammed Salah 12

13.  C) Full body gowns
Full body gowns or fluid-resistant coveralls must be:
1. worn when there is a risk of extensive splashing of
blood and/or body fluids, e.g. operating theatre, ITU
2. changed between patients and removed immediately
after completing a procedure or task
3. sterile when sterility is required in an operating theatre
and for some aseptic techniques e.g. for insertion of
central venous catheters.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 13

14.  D) Eye or face protection
 Eye or face protection (including full-face visors ‫)أقنعه‬ must be worn:
 if blood and/or body fluid contamination to the eyes or face is anticipated or likely,
e.g. by members of the surgical theatre team
 always during aerosol generating procedures (ETI), bronchoscopy
1. not be impeded by accessories such as piercings or false eyelashes
2. not be touched when being worn.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 14

15.  Types of masks
1. Surgical mask: used in wards, departments and operating rooms
2. N95 particulate masks: with patients with diagnosed or suspected airborne
infectious diseases
Dr. Mohammed Salah 15

16.  E) Footwear
 Footwear must be:
1. visibly clean,
2. non-slip and well-maintained,
3. and support and cover the entire foot to
avoid contamination with blood or other
body fluids or potential injury from sharps
removed before leaving a care area where
dedicated footwear is used, e.g. theatre;
these areas must have a decontamination
schedule with responsibility assigned.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 16

17.  F) Headwear
 Headwear must be:
1. worn in the theatre settings and clean rooms, e.g.
central decontamination unit
2. well-fitting and completely cover the hair
3. changed or disposed of between clinical
procedures/lists or tasks and if contaminated with
blood and/or body fluids
4. removed before leaving the theatre or clean room
Dr. Mohammed Salah 17

18.  5. Safe management of care equipments
 Care equipment is easily contaminated with blood, other body fluids,
secretions, excretions and infectious agents Consequently, it is
easy to transfer infectious agents from communal care equipment during care
delivery.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 18

19.  5. Safe management of care equipments
 Care equipment is classified as either:
Dr. Mohammed Salah 19
1. single use equipment which is used once on a single patient then discarded.
This equipment must never be re-used.
The packaging will carry the symbol of:
2. single patient use: equipment which can be reused on the same patient and may require
decontamination in-between use such as nebulizer masks
3. reusable invasive
equipment:
used once then decontaminated, e.g. surgical instruments
4. reusable non-
invasive equipment:
reused on more than one patient following decontamination between each use, e.g.
commode, patient transfer trolley.

20.  5. Safe management of care equipments
 Care equipment is classified as either:
Dr. Mohammed Salah 20

21.  5. Safe management of care equipments
 Care equipment is classified as either:
Dr. Mohammed Salah 21

22.  5. Safe management of care equipments
 Care equipment is classified as either:
Dr. Mohammed Salah 22

23.  5. Safe management of care equipments
 Care equipment is classified as either:
Dr. Mohammed Salah 23

24.  5. Safe management of care equipment (cont.)
 Before using any sterile equipment check that:
1. the packaging is intact
2. there are no obvious signs of packaging contamination
3. the expiry date remains valid
4. any sterility indicators are consistent with the process being completed
successfully.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 24

25.  5. Safe management of care equipment (cont.)
 Decontamination of reusable non-invasive care equipment must be
undertaken:
a) between each use/between patients
b) after blood and/or body fluid contamination
c) at regular predefined intervals as part of an equipment cleaning protocol
d) before inspection, servicing or repair.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 25

26.  5. Safe management of care equipment (cont.)
Dr. Mohammed Salah 26
• Levels of decontamination

27.  5. Safe management of care equipment (cont.)
 Always adhere to Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
guidance for use and decontamination of all care equipment:
1. all reusable non-invasive care equipment must be decontaminated between
patients/clients using either approved detergent wipes or detergent solution,
in line with manufacturers’ instructions, before being stored clean and dry.
2. decontamination protocols must include responsibility for; frequency of;
and method of environmental decontamination
3. an equipment decontamination status certificate will be required if any item
of equipment is being sent to a third party, e.g. for inspection ‫صيانه‬,
servicing or repair
Dr. Mohammed Salah 27

28.  6. Safe management of the care environment
 The care environment must be:
a) visibly clean,
b) free from non-essential items and equipment to facilitate effective cleaning
c) well maintained,
d) in a good state of repair
e) with adequate ventilation for the clinical specialty.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 28

29.  6. Safe management of the care environment
 Routine cleaning
a) the environment should be routinely cleaned in accordance with the National
Cleaning Standards (NCS).
b) use of detergent wipes are acceptable for cleaning surfaces/frequently
touched sites within the care area. a fresh solution of general-purpose neutral
detergent in warm water is recommended for routine cleaning. This should
be changed when dirty or when changing tasks
c) routine disinfection of the environment is not recommended however,
1,000ppm available chlorine should be used routinely on sanitary fittings
Dr. Mohammed Salah 29
d) staff groups should be aware of their environmental cleaning schedules for their area and clear on
their specific responsibilities
e) cleaning protocols should include responsibility for, frequency of, and method of environmental
decontamination

30.  7. Safe management of linen
a) Clean linen
1. should be stored in a clean, designated area, preferably an enclosed cupboard
2. if clean linen is not stored in a cupboard, then the trolley used for storage
must be
a) designated for this purpose
b) completely covered with an impervious covering able to withstand
decontamination
3. do not:
‒ rinse, shake or sort linen on removal from beds/trolleys
‒ place used linen on the floor or any other surfaces e.g. a locker/table top
‒ re-handle used linen once bagged
‒ overfill laundry receptacles (not more than 2/3 full); or
‒ place inappropriate items in the laundry receptacle e.g. used
equipment/needles.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 30

31.  7. Safe management of linen (cont.)
b) Used linen:
1. ensure a laundry receptacle is available
as close as possible to the point of use for
immediate linen deposit
2. should be placed in an impermeable bag
immediately on removal from the bed or
before leaving a clinical department.
Dr. Mohammed Salah 31

32.  7. Safe management of linen (cont.)
c) Infectious linen (this mainly applies to
healthcare linen)
1. linen that has been used by a patient who is
known or suspected to be infectious
2. and/or linen that is contaminated with blood
and/or other body fluids, e.g. feces:
linen in this category must be sealed in a water
soluble bag (entirely water soluble ‘alginate’ bag,
which is then placed in an impermeable bag
immediately on removal from the bed and secured
before leaving a clinical area.
infectious linen bags/receptacles must be tagged
(e.g. hospital care area) and dated
Dr. Mohammed Salah 32
all linen that cant not be reused, e.g.
torn or heavily contaminated, should be
categorised at the deemed point of use
and returned to the laundry for
assessment and disposal.

33. END OF LECTURE II