Universal Precautions (2023)

FAQs

What are the 4 universal precautions? ›

Hand hygiene. Use of personal protective equipment (e.g., gloves, masks, eyewear). Respiratory hygiene / cough etiquette. Sharps safety (engineering and work practice controls).

Universal precautions are safety precautions used with every client. Since you cannot identify every client who may transmit infection, you must treat all human body fluids as if they were known to be infectious. Handwashing. Handwashing is the single most effective means of preventing the transfer of infection.

It includes gowns, gloves, masks, and face shields or goggles. The following list of standard precautions is not all-inclusive and contains some of the most commonly used recommendations for healthcare workers.

Use gloves for protection when working with or around blood and body fluids. Change glove between patients. Use glasses, goggles, masks, shields, and waterproof gowns/aprons to protect face from splashes. Wash hands if contaminated and after removing gloves.

According to the concept of Universal Precautions, all human blood and certain human body fluids are treated as if known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, and other bloodborne pathogens." Therefore, blood and tissue must be handled in the same manner regardless of a patient's perceived or known risk.

There are three categories of Transmission-Based Precautions: Contact Precautions, Droplet Precautions, and Airborne Precautions. Transmission-Based Precautions are used when the route(s) of transmission is (are) not completely interrupted using Standard Precautions alone.