This document provides an overview of standard precautions for reducing the transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings, with a focus on hand hygiene. It discusses that standard precautions include hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, needlestick/sharp injury prevention, cleaning and disinfection, respiratory hygiene, injection safety, and waste management. The document then goes into further detail on proper hand hygiene techniques and the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare settings to prevent transmission of infections.

1. DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY
MEDICINE
STANDARD PRECAUTIONS WITH FOCUS
ON HAND HYGIENE
PRESENTED BY
AAMIR SULTAN
INTERN

2. STANDARD PRECAUTIONS
• Previously known by various names including “universal
precautions”
• Standard precautions are designed to reduce the
• Risk of transmission
• Blood borne and other pathogens from
both recognized and unrecognized sources to a susceptible host.
• Basic level of infection control

3. Healthcare associated infections (HCAI’s) are infections that
develop , As a direct result of receiving healthcare. Occasionally,
carriers or staff providing healthcare may develop HCAIs.
Standard precautions are a set of activities designed to
prevent the transmission of organisms between
patients/staff and , in turn, prevent HCAIs.

4. STANDARD PRECAUTIONS
• ‘’STANDARD PRECAUTIONS REPRESENT THE MINIMUM
INFECTION PREVENTION MEASURES THAT APPLY TO ALL
PATIENT CARE, REGARDLESS OF SUSPECTED OR CONFIRMED
INFECTION STATUS OF THE PATIENT, IN ANY SETTING WHERE
HEALTHCARE IS DELIVERED.’’
https://www.cdc.gov/hai/settings/outpatient/basic-infection-control-prevention-plan-2011/index.

5. • STANDARD PRECAUTIONS INCLUDE:
HAND HYGIENE
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Needle stick and Sharps Injury Prevention
Cleaning and Disinfection
Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
Injection Practices
 Waste Disposal

6. HAND HYGIENE
INTRODUCTION
Hand hygiene is the single most important way to prevent the
spread/transmission of infection.
• Hand hygiene can be performed with
owarm water and liquid soap
owarm water and antiseptic solution or
ousing a hand sanitizer.

7. THERE ARE SOME SITUATIONS WHERE HAND SANITISERS ARE
INEFFECTIVE
• When the hands are visibly dirty or soiled.,
• most hand sanitizers are not effective against viral infections (e.g.
vomiting and diarrhoea caused by Norovirus).
• They are also not effective against Clostridium difficile and are not to be
relied on with infectious diarrhoea.
Running water and liquid soap should be used.

8. RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL HEALTH CARE WORKERS REGARDING
HAND HYGIENE
EVERYONE SHOULD:
• Familiarise themselves with the recommended hand hygiene technique
• Incorporate the guidelines into their practice
• Report defects in hand hygiene facilities to their manager

9. THE MANAGER IN CHARGE OF A WARD OR
DEPARTMENT SHOULD:
• Assess hand hygiene facilities in their clinical areas
• Report problems with providing hand hygiene facilities to administration
• Ensure that Hand Hygiene posters are placed at each clinical hand
washing sink

10. • Ensure that there are an adequate number of dedicated
clinical hand wash sinks with hands free or elbow
controlled taps.
• Ensure that there is ready access to liquid soap and
disposable hand towels at each clinical hand washing sink;
these should in wall mounted dispensers

11. HYGIENE PROCEDURE
• To facilitate effective hand hygiene:
• Wear sleeves above the elbows. If wearing long sleeves, these should
be “rolled up” to above the elbows.
• Remove any hand or wrist jewellery with the exception of one plain
band ring
• Keep nails short and do not wear false nails, nail extensions, or gel nails
• Do not use bar soap or nail brushes

12. HOW TO WASH YOUR HANDS: THE SEVEN STEP TECHNIQUE

13. WHEN TO PREFORM HAND HYGIENE: THE FIVE MOMENTS FOR HAND HYGIENE

14. SKIN CARE
• Hand cream: Hands should be moisturised regularly. It is advisable to
carry a personal tube of approved hand cream.
• Skin lesions: If any member of staff has a skin lesion or experiences skin
problems associated with hand hygiene, they should consult the
Occupational Health Department or seek medical advice..
• Abrasions : Must be covered with an impermeable dressing when in the
clinical environment and when performing clinical procedures.

15. HAND HYGIENE IN THE COMMUNITY SETTING
• Staff visiting a patient in their home should carry out hand hygiene on
entering and on leaving. In most instances it will be appropriate to use the
facilities within the home. Sometimes it may be necessary to complement
or replace this with the use of a hand sanitizer.

16. HOW PATIENTS AND VISITORS CAN HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OF
INFECTION
• Patients: Hands should be washed after using the bathroom or toilet
facilities, before eating food, after coughing or sneezing into the hands,
after direct contact with pets/animals or when hands are visibly dirty.
• Visitors: Should protect themselves and patients by washing their hands
when entering and leaving the ward/care home or by using liquid or foam
hand sanitizers.

17. References
• 1. World Health Organisation guidance on Hand Hygiene (Available
at http://www.who.int/gpsc/en/)
• 2. Five Moments for Hand Hygiene (Available
at http://who.int/gpsc/tools/Five_moments/en/)

18. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
• PPE includes items such as gloves, gowns, masks, and eyewear used to create
barriers that protect skin, clothing, mucous membranes, and the respiratory
tract from infectious agents
• Wear gloves when touching blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, mucous
membranes, and contaminated items. Gloves must always be worn during
activities involving vascular access, such as performing phlebotomies.

19. • Wear a surgical mask and goggles or face shield if there is a reasonable chance
that a splash or spray of blood or body fluids may occur to the eyes, mouth, or
nose.
• Wear a gown if skin or clothing is likely to be exposed to blood or body fluids.
• Remove PPE immediately after use and wash hands. It is important to remove
PPE in the proper order to prevent contamination of skin or clothing.
• If PPE or other disposable items are saturated with blood or body fluids such
that fluid may be poured, squeezed, or dripped from the item, discard into a
biohazard bag. PPE that is not saturated may be placed directly in the trash.

20. NEEDLESTICK AND SHARPS INJURY PREVENTION
• Safe handling of needles and other sharp devices are components of
standard precautions that are implemented to prevent health care worker
exposure to blood borne pathogens.
• The safety devices on needles and other sharps should be activated
immediately after use.
• Used needles should be discarded immediately after use and not
recapped, bent, cut, removed from the syringe or tube holder, or otherwise
manipulated.

21. • Any used needles, lancets, or other contaminated sharps should be
placed in a leak-proof, puncture-resistant sharps container that is either
red in colour or labelled with a biohazard label.
• Do not overfill sharps containers. Discard after 2/3 full or when contents
are at the “full line indicated on the containers.
• Used sharps containers may be taken to a collection facility such as an
area pharmacy, hospital, or clinic that provides this service.

22. CLEANING AND DISINFECTION
• Client care areas, common waiting areas, and other areas where clients
may have potentially contaminated surfaces or objects that are frequently
touched by staff and clients (doorknobs, sinks, toilets, other surfaces and
items in close proximity to clients) should be cleaned routinely with
disinfectants
• Housekeeping surfaces such as floors and walls do not need to be
disinfected unless visibly soiled with blood or body fluids. They may be
routinely cleaned with a detergent/disinfectant product.

23. • Most disinfectants are not effective in the presence of dirt and organic
matter, therefore cleaning must occur first before disinfection.
• Some pathogens such as norvovirus and Clostridium difficile are not
inactivated by commercial disinfectants routinely used in local public
health settings. In situations where contamination with these pathogens is
suspected, a bleach solution (1:10) is recommended for disinfecting
contaminated surfaces and items.
• Some patient care items may be damaged or destroyed by certain
disinfectants. Consult with the manufacturer of the items before applying
disinfectants.

24.  RESPIRATORY HYGIENE AND COUGH ETIQUETTE
Elements of respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette include:
• Covering the nose/mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing or
using the crook of the elbow to contain respiratory droplets.
• Using tissues to contain respiratory secretions and discarding in the
nearest waste receptacle after use.

25. • Performing hand hygiene immediately after contact with respiratory
secretions and contaminated objects/materials.
• Asking clients with signs and symptoms of respiratory illness to wear a
surgical mask while waiting in common areas or placing them
immediately in examination rooms or areas away from others.

26. • Spacing seating in waiting areas at least three feet apart to minimize
close contact among persons in those areas.
• Supplies such as tissues, waste baskets, alcohol gel, and surgical
masks should be provided in waiting and other common areas in
local public health agencies.

27. Safe Injection Practices
• All health care personnel who give injections should strictly
adhere to the CDC recommendations - Safe Injection
Practices, which include:
• Use of a new needle and syringe every time a medication vial or
IV bag is accessed
• Use of a new needle and syringe with each injection of a client
• Using medication vials for one client only, whenever possible
• Safe injection practices packet

28.  Waste management

30. THANK YOU