Universal Infection Control Precautions

• Pages: 28-30

Contenidos

• The Issue.
• Legal and Policy Considerations.
• Practice Examples.
• References.

Page 28

The Issue

Universal infection control precautions refer to a broad set of practices intended to prevent exposure to HIV and other blood-borne pathogens in occupational or health care settings. While predominantly employed in health care settings, universal infection control precautions have also been recommended for use in other settings-for example schools, prisons, and refugee camps-where an individual may come into contact with infected blood and other bodily fluids and tissues. In health care settings, universal precautions may avert unintended HIV transmission from health care professionals to patients, from patients to health care professionals, and between patients through contaminated equipment. Transmission of HIV between patients and health care professionals can result from percutaneous injuries ("needle-stick") that expose a previously unexposed person to HIV infected blood. Patient-to-patient HIV transmission can be prevented by using new, or properly disinfected and sterilized, equipment. Other universal precautions include not recapping needles, using needles on only one patient, safely disposing of needles, using personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks, eye protection, and gowns, cleaning spills involving blood or other bodily fluids, and safely collecting and disposing of waste. Hand-washing is a very effective method of preventing transmission of a number of pathogens.

Legal and Policy Considerations

Many countries have enacted universal infection control precautions under public health legislation, regulations, or government policy. Universal precautions are recommended by numerous international organizations as well. Universal infection control precautions promote HIV prevention and reduce discrimination. The fact that the standards are applied universally allows for equal treatment in the health care system.The infection control precautions are applied to everyone without consideration of HIV status. Therefore, HIV status of health care professionals and patients becomes irrelevant for purpose of infection control and may not be used as a pretext for discrimination. Universal precautions also obviate the need for coercive HIV testing and preserve confidentiality in most circumstances. The methods used for infection control have been demonstrated to provide effective protection from occupational and...