McKesson Clinical Reference Systems: Women's Health Advisor 2002.2

What are universal precautions?

Universal precautions are guidelines you can follow to help to prevent the spread of infection. Follow these guidelines to protect yourself from infection if you are caring for someone with an infectious disease. Hospitals, all health care facilities, and health care workers use universal precautions to protect patients, themselves, and other health care workers from the spread of infectious diseases.

Infectious diseases are caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. These organisms can be spread from person to person through:

• blood and other body secretions
• droplets breathed, sneezed, or coughed out from the nose or mouth
• skin-to-skin contact
• sexual contact.

Universal precautions help protect patients and their family, friends, and health care providers from infection.

What precautions should I take if I am caring for an infectious person at home?

Gloves

• Wear latex medical gloves when:
  • You touch the infected person's mucus membranes or affected skin or body fluids, such as blood, stool, urine, drainage from a wound, saliva, or vomit.
  • You handle items or body surfaces soiled with blood or body fluids.
  • You perform procedures involving open sores or needles.
  • You clean up around the area where you are caring for the patient.
• If a glove gets torn or damaged, take your gloves off, wash your hands, and put on new gloves right away.
• Put new gloves on each time you perform a procedure.
• Do not wash gloves. Discard them after each use in appropriate containers.

Gloves are not a substitute for hand washing. Wash your hands after wearing gloves in case the gloves have been damaged.

Hand washing

• Wash your hands immediately after you take your gloves off.
• If you get blood or body fluid on your hands or any other body surface, wash your hands and the exposed part of your body immediately and thoroughly.
• Wash your hands immediately before and after each contact with the infected person.

Protective clothing (such as masks, goggles, gowns)

• Wear a surgical mask and eyewear during any task that may expose you to blood or other body fluids. This can prevent exposure of your mouth, nose, and eyes to the infection.
• Wear disposable gowns or aprons when blood or body fluids may splash. If you wear a cloth gown or apron, wash it according to the instructions given below for washing linens soiled with blood.

Safety precautions with needles:

• Do not recap or purposely bend needles.
• Discard needles in the way recommended by your health care provider. Put used needles in a puncture-proof container. Avoid overfilling the container.
• If you accidentally stick yourself with a needle, contact your provider right away.

Disposal of waste products and washing of soiled linens:

• Discard disposable items soiled with blood in red plastic bags. Use two bags, putting one inside another. Make sure you follow your local health department's instructions.
• Check with your health care provider and local health department before you pour bulk blood, suctioned fluids, excretions, and secretions carefully down a drain connected to a sanitary sewer.
• Linens or clothing soiled with blood must be washed separately from other clothing. Use detergent and germicide. Follow your local health department's instructions for safe washing and disposal of the water.

Guidelines for sterilization or disinfection

• Use chemical germicides registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for sterilization or disinfection.
• Ask your health care provider or local health department what chemicals are safe for home use.
• Use these chemicals only in the recommended concentrations and only with proper ventilation.

This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.