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Category: Standard Precautions

Topics

Handling Laboratory Specimens

What Is It? A specimen is any bodily substance taken from a person for analysis, e.g., blood, urine, stool, tissue, and fluid. Specimens can therefore pose a health risk to all employees having contact with them. For this reason, it's essential to apply standard precautions when handling laboratory specimens.   ...

Single-Use Equipment

What Is It? Single-use equipment minimises the risks of cross-infection. Many medical devices are difficult to reprocess and render safe for use on another person. The manufacturer labels these devices as 'single-use,' and they cannot be reused in any way.  A single-use device is used on an individual patient during a single...

Dealing with Blood and Body Substances

What Is It? To minimise the risk of the spread of infection, all blood and body substances (e.g., vomit or urine) should be treated as potentially infectious. Spillages of blood and other body fluids may transmit viruses. It is essential to decontaminate spillages immediately using safe methods. Strategies for decontamination will...

Aseptic Technique

What Is It? The aseptic technique is an important patient safety strategy and a key element of standard precautions. The aseptic technique is a set of practices that protect residents from healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and protects healthcare workers from contact with blood, body fluid, and body tissue. When performed correctly...

Safe Handling of Sharps

What Is It? The classification of sharps includes needles, scalpels, razor blades, stitch cutters, broken glass, auto lancets, IV cannula stilettes, and IV giving set spikes. Sharps injuries can occur in any healthcare setting, including home healthcare and long-term care facilities. Injuries most often occur During the use of a sharp...

Disposal of Clinical Waste

What Is It? Clinical waste contains potentially harmful microorganisms that can infect residents, employees, and the general public.  The facility can prevent infection and transmission of antimicrobial organisms by providing a clean, waste-free environment.  To protect people from harm when handling waste or hazardous substances, specific procedures should be followed....