standard precautions are infection control guidelines that are used in
hospitals to reduce the spread of pathogens between patients and healthcare workers
this includes protection from blood body fluids non-intact skin and mucous membranes
we created this video to cover the medical definition and provide a brief overview of
this topic so if you're ready let's get into it as previously mentioned standard precautions are
a set of infection control guidelines designed to reduce the transmission of harmful microorganisms
by adhering to these guidelines healthcare professionals can help protect themselves
their patients and the general public from the spread of disease the primary components
of standard precautions include number one hand hygiene number two personal protective equipment
number three patient care equipment number four needle stick and sharps injury prevention
and number five patient placement hand hygiene is perhaps the most important aspect of standard
precautions healthcare workers must clean their hands before and after every patient
interaction as well as after any contact with blood body fluids or contaminated surfaces
alcohol-based hand sanitizers are typically used for routine hand hygiene while soap and water
must be used when the hens are visibly soiled or contaminated personal protective equipment aka ppe
is another key component of standard precautions this includes items such as number one gloves
number two gowns number three masks number four face shields and number five eye protection
healthcare workers must use ppe when they are in close contact with patients or when they are
performing any procedures that could expose them to blood or body fluids for example clean gloves
must be worn between tasks and procedures and they must be changed if they become contaminated
masks eye protection and face shields must also be worn when performing certain procedures
to prevent sprays and splashes of body fluids from contacting the mucous membranes of the eyes
nose or mouth gowns must be worn when contact with blood or body fluids is likely in order to prevent
soiling of clothing during patient care procedures if the gown is contaminated it must be removed
and replaced with a clean one all patient care equipment must be cleaned and disinfected between
patients to prevent the spread of infection this includes items such as stethoscopes pulse
oximeters blood pressure cuffs and thermometers reusable equipment should not be used on another
patient until it has been properly cleaned and disinfected single-use equipment such as small
volume nebulizers must be disposed of after each use all healthcare workers must be cautious when
handling needles and other sharp objects to prevent accidental needle stick injuries
this includes using proper disposal techniques and wearing gloves when handling sharp objects
all disposable syringes and sharps must be placed in a puncture resistant container for disposal
in some cases patients with certain infectious diseases may need to be isolated in a private
room to prevent the spread of infection contact precautions which require the use
of gloves and gowns when entering the room may also be necessary airborne precautions
which involve using an n95 mask and negative pressure room must be used for patients with
airborne infections standard precautions are a key part of infection control
and play an important role in preventing the spread of disease by adhering to these guidelines
healthcare workers can help keep themselves their patients and the general public safe
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