Universal Precautions

1. Universal Precautions

2. Definition
•Universal precautions are
recommended practices used to
minimize the risk of exposure to
infectious diseases and
pathogens(germs) carried in blood and
body fluids

3. Bloodborne Pathogens
•Blood borne pathogens are infectious
microorganisms in blood that can cause
disease in people

4. Example of Blood Borne
Pathogens
•Hepatitis B
•Hepatitis C
•HIV

5. Hepatitis B
•Transmitted by blood
•Sexually transmitted
•IV drug users
•Household contact(sharing razors,
toothbrushes, drinking after person)
•Can be treated with medications
•Vaccine available

6. Hepatitis C
•Primarily blood borne
•Sexual transmission
•Prenatal
•Can be transmitted by blood to blood contact
such as non-sterile tattoos, syringes, cuts, etc
•No vaccine is available
•May be treated with medication if chronic and
causing liver damage

7. HIV/Aids
•Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
•Live vaccines should not be administered
•Follow universal precautions such as
handwashing, proper handling and disposal
of sharps/contaminated materials
•Cleaning/disinfecting after any contact with
blood
•Personal protection barriers;gloves, masks,
goggles, etc as needed

8. Common Ways to be exposed to
Pathogens in the School Setting
•Nosebleeds
•Lost teeth
•Cuts
•Fights
•Vomit
•Bathroom accidents/soiled clothing
•Contaminated surfaces
•Tissues/bandages

9. Modes of Pathogen
Transmission
•Contact from skin to skin or from
contaminated surfaces
•Air-born infectious particles in the air
•Droplets from sneezing, coughing, or
talking

10. Body Fluids
•When dealing with any body fluids
assume that every person has an
infectious disease

11. Protocol for safely dealing with
exposure to blood and other potentially
infectious materials
•Essential techniques used to control
infections are: effective hand hygiene,
using gloves and other barriers,
disposing of waste appropriately, and
cleaning spills promptly and carefully

12. Hand Hygiene
•Hand hygiene is the single most
important activity to decrease the
spread of infections of all kinds

13. Hand Hygiene
•Wash your hands after using the restroom;
before eating; before touching your mouth, face,
or eyes
•Should have access to warm water, soap, and
towels
•Waterless hand sanitizer may be used if there is
no visible soiling of hands; should not be
substituted for soap/water; always wash with
soap/water after several uses of hand sanitizer
•After wearing gloves

14. Hand Hygiene
•Apply a dime sized amount of
soap/cleaner to hands
•Rub hands vigorously for 10-15
seconds
•Scrub between fingers, under nails,
tops of hands and wrist. Sing Yankee
Doodle Dandy or Happy Birthday to
ensure you spend enough time!

15. Barriers
•Always wear gloves or place some type
of barrier between you and the person
you are caring for
•Always wear gloves during clean up
procedures

16. Skin wounds
•Skin wounds such as scratches,
abrasions, lacerations, and weeping
skin lesions are potentially infectious
•Cover all wounds with a secure
bandage
•The injured person should perform
his/her own wound care whenever
possible

17. Skin wounds
•Students should be instructed not to
handle other people’s blood;should not
be asked to assist in controlling a
bleeding injury,should not clean blood
contaminated enviromental
surfaces(such as floors or wrestling
mats) or handle contaminated laundry

18. Blood
•Blood on the skin should be washed off
thoroughly with soap and water.
•Activities may be resumed after the
wound is covered as long as the injury
is minor

19. Pressure to stop a bleeding
wound
•Always wear gloves
•Gloves should never be reused
•Apply new bandage over bandage if
saturated with blood

20. Clean up Procedure
•Always use disposable towels for
cleaning up blood or body fluids
•Clean surfaces with an approved
disinfectant for schools
•Wet surface with disinfectant; leave on
wet for 10 minutes, wipe dry
•Bleach is not used in WCPS

21. Clean up Procedure
•All materials contaminated with
blood/body fluids should be double
bagged in a trash liner and sealed
•Gloves should be disposed of in trash
•Trash liners should not be reused
•Trash should be discarded as soon as
possible

22. Non-disposable cleaning
equipment and materials
•Mop heads should be disinfected with
approved school disinfectant
•Any linens should be stored in a plastic
bag until laundered
•Thoroughly wash hands after cleaning
even if gloves were worn

23. Used needles, syringes, other
sharp objects
•Needles should not be recapped, bent
or removed from the syringe before
disposal
•Each school clinic has a Sharps
container for all needles
•When the container is 3/4 full; notify the
facilities manager by work order that a
pick up is needed

24. Respiratory Etiquette
•Always cover mouth/nose when
coughing/sneezing
•Use a tissue to cover mouth or blow nose;
dispose of in trash
•Use sleeve/arm instead of hands
•Wash hands or use hand sanitizer after
sneezing/coughing or blowing nose

25. MRSA
•Stands for “Methicillin Resistant
Staphylococcus Aureus”
•Became a “super bug” because of
overuse of antibiotics by the health care
community
•Is resistant to commonly used
antibiotics

26. Treatment of MRSA
•MRSA can be treated by sulfa drugs and
Clindamycin
•It is easily killed by good hand hygiene; hand
sanitizers and washing with soap/water
•Most forms encountered in schools only
cause simple skin infections
•Report any weeping skin lesions to school
nurse; even “acne” on face if openly oozing

27. Exposure
•Do not share towels, drink after others,
share razors, toothbrushes
•Even though blood borne pathogens
have not been shown to be transmitted
in saliva, you should not share personal
items
•Blood borne pathogen infections, even
when treated, may sometimes be fatal

28. Education
•Attention to infection prevention and
control by all school employees will help
attain the goal of maintaining student
and employee health.
•Teachers and nurses need to be alert to
patterns of illness that may emerge