HHC Health & Home Care Clinical Policy And

HHC HEALTH & HOME CARE Section: 13-1
Infection Control: Universal Precautions __RN
PURPOSE:
To reduce the risk of exposure and prevent the
transmission of infection to patients and personnel.
CONSIDERATIONS:
1. While all body fluids are not known to transport
bloodborne pathogens, they do transmit other
infectious agents. Thus, Universal Precautions
should be applied to all body fluids, except sweat.
2. Assume that blood and body fluids from all patients
are potentially infectious and, thus, utilize Universal
Precautions in the care of all patients.
3. Personal protective equipment (PPE) includes
gloves, gowns/aprons, masks, eye protection, and
resuscitation devices that prevent blood or body
fluids from contact with the clinical staffs' clothes,
skin, eyes, mouth, or other mucous membrane
under normal conditions of use and for the duration
of time that the protective equipment will be used.
PPE must be used appropriately and according to
manufacturer's instructions, removed when soiled or
penetrated with blood or body fluids, and replaced
and disposed of according to Disposal/Handling of
Infectious Medical Waste, No. 14.11.
4. Hand Hygiene - Indications for hand washing and/or
hand antisepsis include but not limited to the
following:
a. When hands are visible dirty or contaminated;
b. Before and after direct contact with each
patient;
c. Contact with blood or body fluids;
d. Immediately after removing gloves to avoid
transfer of microorganisms to the environment;
e. Before eating and after toileting;
f. Before donning and after removing gloves;
g. It may be necessary to wash hands between
tasks and procedures on the same patient to
prevent cross-contamination of different body
sites. (See Hand Hygiene, No. 14.03.)
5. Gloves must be worn when it can be reasonably
anticipated to have direct contact with blood, body
fluids, mucous membranes, or non-intact skin; when
handling items soiled with blood or body fluids; or
when touching equipment or surfaces contaminated
with blood or body fluids. This includes, but is not
limited to the following:
a. Suctioning procedures.
b. Catheter care and removal of catheters.
c. Dressing changes.
d. Handling of contaminated linens.
e. The collection and emptying of all suction and
drainage devices, e.g., Foley catheter bags,
hemovacs, etc.
f. Starting and discontinuing intravenous infusion,
caring for central and peripheral lines.
g. Providing personal care involving contact with
mucous membranes, including oral hygiene.
h. Bowel procedures, including enema
administration.
I. Cleaning patient rooms, bathrooms, emptying
trash, or changing linens on patient's bed.
j. Venipuncture or other vascular access
procedures.
k. Handling of contaminated sharps.
l. Cleaning reusable equipment.
m. Cleaning up after spill of blood or body fluids or
incontinence.
n. While performing care when the clinical staff
has open cuts, sores, or other breaks in the skin
on their hands or wrists.
(See Gloves, Donning Sterile, No. 14.05.)
6. Gowns or aprons must be impervious and worn
when there is a potential for blood or body fluid
spatters or sprays. Examples may include
venipunctures, arterial punctures, catheter or
nasogastric tube insertions, intubation, care of an
incontinent patient.
7. Eye protection, goggles, protective shields, or
glasses must be worn when there is a potential for a
splash, spray, spatter, or droplets of blood or body
fluids. Examples include dental cleaning,
suctioning, arterial punctures, and intubation.
8. Masks should be worn when there is a potential for
a splash, spray, or splatter of blood or body fluids,
whenever eye protection is used and when the
patient is on respiratory precautions.
9. Resuscitation Devices: a one-way mouthpiece,
resuscitation mask or other ventilation device should
be used during all resuscitations.
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