Standard Precautions
What are Standard Precautions?
What were they designed for?
1 - Current infection-control system
2 - Reduce risk of transmission of infections from unrecognized sources
When should you do hand hygiene?
Beginning and end of workday
Before/after each patient (even if in same room)
Entering/exiting a room
After contact with a patient's blood/bodily fluids
After contact/being around patients with known communicable diseases
Prior to invasive procedure
What must we do when handling contaminated items?
Make sure specimens have caps on tightly before placing in biohazard bag
Always wear gloves when handling specimens, bedpans, or urinals
What are some common diseases that warrant droplet precaution?
Pneumonia and influenza
What does a "dirty" tech do?
What does a "clean" tech do?
1 - Dirty = Handles the patient
2 - Clean = Handles the equipment
What modes of transmission are addressed in Standard Precautions?
You have to keep Standard Precautions in mind when dealing with what substances?
With what substance do you NOT have to worry about Standard Precautions?
1 - Airborne, droplet, and contact
2 - Blood, all bodily fluids, secretions, excretions, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes
3 - Sweat
Do I need to perform hand hygiene after I remove gloves?
Yes
What items do we use for PPE?
Gown
Gloves
Masks
Respirators
Goggles
Face shields
What is a contact precaution?
Warning to not make unprotected direct or indirect contact with a patient or fomite
What is another term for protective precautions?
How is it different from normal isolation?
1 - Reverse isolation
2 - Normal isolation = try to keep patient from infecting environment
Reverse isolation = try to keep environment from infecting the patient
What is medical asepsis?
Microbial dilution to reduce the probability of infectious organisms being transmitted to a susceptible individual
What does housekeeping do?
How do they clean a room?
1 - Maintains cleanliness of an area
2 - Least contaminated to most contaminated = reduce spread of germs
How does one put on PPE for the OR?
Hand hygiene
Don cap
Don mask
Don and tie gown
Don gloves
May have to put IR in rad bag
How is a patient with contact precaution roomed?
What PPE must be worn when dealing with a contact precaution patient?
1 - Private or with a roommate
2 - Gown and gloves
Who do we use protective precautions on?
Burn patients
Oncology patients
Transplant patients
Patients with neutropenia
= any patient with a compromised immune system
What is surgical asepsis?
Sterilization = when microorganisms and their spores have been completely destroyed by means of heat of chemical process
What are 3 things to keep in mind when cleaning?
What are the appropriate cleaning agents, and how long do they need to be wet on the surface?
1 - Avoid raising dust, do not cross contaminate, and clean everything the patient touched
2 - Purple top = most common/general; 2-minute disinfection
Gray top or red top = 3-minute disinfection
Bleach = 4-minute disinfection
What are the three modes of transmission we are most worried about for transmission-based precautions?
Contact
Airborne
Droplet
Do we follow standard precautions for contact precaution patients?
What must we do with equipment that has come in contact with a contact precaution patient?
1 - Yes
2 - decontaminate
What does neutropenia do to a patient?
Makes their immune system super weak due to a low number of neutrophils
How can you reduce the spread if infectious diseases?
Stay home if sick
Cough/sneeze etiquette
Appropriate uniform and PPE
Hand hygiene
Housekeeping and linen handling/contaminated waste
Linens soiled by [blank1] are [blank2] and are therefore sources of [blank3].
1 - body secretions
2 - contaminated
3 - possible infection
What is an airborne precaution?
What are some common diseases that warrant airborne precautions?
1 - A warning of evaporated droplets or dust particles in the air that can be inhaled
2 - Tuberculosis, rubella/measles, and COVID
What are some common enteric/diarrheal illnesses that warrant contact precaution?
C. diff
Norovirus
Rotovirus
Adenovirus
What are some psychological considerations for isolated patients?
Loneliness
Anxiety
Sadness
Fear
=Always be caring and compassionate
What is proper cough etiquette?
Cover mouth/nose when coughing/sneezing
Throw away your used tissues
Hand hygiene
How do we prevent airborne contamination when handling soiled linens?
Fold edges of linens to the center and do not shake
How is a patient with airborne precaution roomed?
How do we create negative air-pressure ventilation?
1 - By themselves/with a patient who has same infection in a room set up for negative air-pressure ventilation; doors remain closed
2 - The room has 2 ways in, but only 1 is open at a time
What is another name for shingles?
Who, other than people 50 and older, is susceptible to shingles?
1 - Herpes zoster
2 - Pregnant people
What are the appropriate dress requirements?
Clean uniform
No scented lotion/perfume
Closed-toe shoes
No excessive jewelry
Hair short/pulled back
PPE when needed
Short fingernails with unchipped polish + no enhancements
If a linen has a little blood on it, where does it get disposed?
If a linen is saturated with blood, where does it get disposed?
1 - linen cart
2 - red biohazard container
What PPE must be worn when dealing with an airborne precaution patient?
What is a condition of PAPR?
1 - N95 or PAPR, gown, and gloves
PAPR = Powered air-purifying respirator
2 - No beards
Can herpes simplex be transmitted by contact?
Is it a drug-resistant infection?
Yes and yes
What is the purpose of hand hygiene?
What can be used to perform it?
1 - Reduce spread of infection
2 - Soap + water, antiseptic hand rubs, surgical hand antisepsis
What are some rules to follow when handling soiled linens?
Always wear gloves
Never use linen for more than 1 patient
Dispose of soiled linen immediately
Fold edges to center and ball up
Are droplets bigger or smaller than airborne droplets?
How is a patient with droplet precautions roomed?
1 - Bigger
2 - Privately or with another patient who has the same disease
Door can be open if patient is 3 feet away or if patient is masked
What is the purpose of combo airborne and contact precautions?
What are 2 diseases that warrant combo precautions?
1 - To reduce the transmission of pathogens for diseases that are both airborne and skin-to-skin
2 - SARS and varicella (chicken pox + shingles)
What is the most commonly missed area when performing hand hygiene?
Back of thumbs
Where do we place used needles?
What do we put into biohazard containers?
1 - ALWAYS a sharps container
2 - blood-soaked items
What PPE do we don before going into a droplet precaution room?
Do we follow Standard Precautions here?
1 - Mask with eye protection
2 - Yes
How do we "isolate" patients in radiography?
Follow precautions posted outside patient's room
Have a "dirty" and a "clean" tech to minimize contamination