There are a variety of different precautions that should be used to prevent the spread of infection. These include “standard” precautions that should always be used, precautions specifically aimed at the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms, and surgical asepsis (sterile techniques).
In addition to understanding the chain of infection, you should be able to apply standard precautions (such as handwashing, wearing gloves and gowns, and using face protection, such as masks, goggles, and face shields) with respect to hand hygiene, blood, bodily fluids, excretions, and secretions. These principles apply whether or not the skin and mucous membranes are intact, and should always be used in caring for clients across all diagnoses and all care settings.
Be aware of how, and in what order, to correctly put on and remove personal protective equipment (PPE). Perform hand hygiene first. Then before making contact with the client, and preferably outside the room, put on PPE: gown first, then the mask, then eye protection, and gloves last. The steps reverse for PPE are: remove gloves first, then eye protection, then gown, then mask, with hand hygiene coming last.
Transmission-based precautions limit the spread of pathogenic microorganisms. You should be able to compare and contrast airborne, droplet, and contact precautions; know when to use each; and know when multiple precautions may be needed. For example, when small (< 5 mcm) pathogen-infected droplets remain suspended in the air over time and travel distances greater than 3 feet, use airborne precautions. pathogens may include measles (rubeola), chickenpox (varicella), and tuberculosis, among others. use droplet precautions for larger (> 5 mcm) pathogen-infected droplets that travel 3 feet or less via coughing, sneezing, and so on. An example of this type of pathogen is Haemophilus influenzae. Use contact precautions with known or suspected microorganisms transmitted by direct hand-to-skin contact or indirect contact with surfaces (Clostridium difficile, herpes simplex, impetigo, etc.).
You should also be able to identify infectious agents that require transmission-based precautions, and specific precautions used in cases of drug-resistant infections.
You need to understand the principles of surgical asepsis—the practices necessary to maintain objects and areas free of microorganisms—also known as sterile techniques. Know how to use these techniques in implementing a variety of procedures, including IV therapy and urinary catheterization.
The basic principles of surgical asepsis are: