Universal precautions

Universal Precautions guidelines set fortii by die Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to control die spread of disease... 

Universal Precautions Methods for healthcare workers to avoid infection from blood-borne diseases first developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1987. Their guidelines include use of protective gloves, masks, and eyewear when in contact with blood or body fluids. 

Universal precautions training that complies with the OSHA standard on occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, as well as a fire training program, should be provided on an annual basis for all laboratory employees. Personnel are required to use proper personal protective devices when handling corrosive, flammable, biohazard, or carcinogenic substances. Eye wash sta-... 

The upsurge of latex allergy is traced back to a GDC report published on August 21, 1987 that came to be known as universal precautions. It emphasized the need for all health care workers to routinely use appropriate barrier precautions, such as gloves, when contacting body fluids. New and inexperienced glove manufacturers entered the glove market and produced poorly compounded. 

Isolate patient(s) observe universal precautions. Report to local public health agencies (Hardin, 2002). 

Health care workers who come in contact with patients in whom anthrax is suspected should use universal precautions at all times, including the use of rubber gloves, disposal of sharps, and frequent hand washing. No human-to-human transmission of anthrax has been reported and respiratory isolation precautions are not needed. Patients with inhalational or cutaneous anthrax should be placed on contact isolation, due to the potential for contact with open wounds or wound drainage. 

Botulinum toxin is extremely poisonous to humans. Coats, gloves, face shields, and protective cabinets are recommended for handling botulism specimens. Ideally, laboratory personnel should be vaccinated with C. botulinum antitoxin. Universal precautions should be used when caring for patients suspected of botulism. Isolation is not necessary but droplet precautions should be instituted (Arnon et al., 2001). 

Despite its infectivity, human-to-human transmission of tularemia is not a risk, and therefore isolation is not needed. Universal precautions are recommended for patients suspected of tularemia infection. 

Follow universal precautions—wear gloves, lab coats, shoe covers, and so forth, to reduce personnel contamination and to cover all exposed skin to the maximum extent possible. 

Although medical personnel may need to treat patients who are still contaminated, these patients pose no health risk to nurses or physicians. Universal precautions will serve to further reduce an already low radiation dose. 

As discussed earlier in this section, OSHA has mandated that all U.S. laboratories have an exposure control plan. In addition, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a functional unit of the GDC, has prepared and widely distributed a document entitled Universal Pre-cautions that specifies how U.S. clinical laboratories handle infectious agents. In general it mandates that clinical laboratories treat aU human blood and other potentially infectious materials as if they were known to contain infectious agents, such as HBV, HIV, and other blood-borne pathogens. These requirements apply to all specimens of blood, serum, plasma, blood products, vaginal secretions, semen, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, and concentrated HBV or HIV viruses. In addition, any specimen of any type that contains visible traces of blood should be bandied using tliese Universal Precautions. 

The practice of universal precautions is Federal Law in the United States, and it is the responsibility of every employer or institution that healthcare workers have the resources and training necessary to adhere to these safety precautions.Additionally, support for continued practice of universal precautions needs to come from all levels of administration. Observations by Gershon et al. indicate that one of the strongest correlates with compliance is the institutional safety climate.This implies that if healthcare workers perceive their work environment to be conducive to practicing universal precautions, then they will be more likely to do so. 

Unfortunately, healthcare worker exposure to infectious blood and body fluids will continue to be a reality. Hopefully, with the practice of basic infection control in j2. conjunction with universal precautions, this can be kept at a minimum. Universal precautions will likely be an evolving process considering the increased prevalence of viral resistance, and the continued emergence of new, and more difficult to treat infectious entities. 13. 

M.G. A work-systems analysis of compliance with universal precautions among health care workers. Health Educ. 

Center for Disease Control. Update Universal precautions 17. 

Fahey, B.J. Koziol, D.E. Banks, S.M. Henderson, D.K. Frequency of nonparenteral occupational exposures to blood and body fluids before and after universal precautions training. Am. J. Med. 1991, 90, 145-153. 

In addition to vaccinating health care workers against hepatitis B, other infection control practices are important in preventing transmission of the virus because up to 10% of people do not develop an adequate antibody response to the vaccine. The most important infection control measure is the use of universal precautions. These precautions prevent exposure to blood and blood-derived body fluids via use of a variety of barrier precautions, measures to prevent needlesticks, environmental control measures, and good hand-washing techniques. However, if a worker is exposed to material that potentially contains HBV, recommendations for percutaneous exposure to HBV should be followed (see Table 40-7). ... 

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