Infection Control and Patient Safety
Standard precautions
Treat every patient's blood and body fluids as infectious. Hand hygiene is the single most effective measure: perform it before and after every patient contact and after glove removal-gloves do not replace hand washing. Wear gloves for access care and any potential blood exposure, plus gown, mask, and eye protection when splash is likely. Use new needles and new supplies for each treatment, never recap needles by hand, and dispose of sharps immediately at the point of use. Clean and disinfect the station, chair, and machine surfaces between patients.
Patient safety and special situations
Verify identity with two identifiers before treatment and before any medication. Keep side rails up and brakes locked, keep floors dry, and answer call lights promptly. Report any needlestick or splash immediately so post-exposure evaluation can begin. Hepatitis B is the most transmissible bloodborne virus in the dialysis unit and the only one with a vaccine; patients who are HBsAg positive are typically dialyzed in a separate area with dedicated equipment, whereas patients with hepatitis C or HIV are managed under standard precautions. Follow the immunization schedule and monitor response.
Traps and a rule of thumb
Trap items ask which virus requires isolation (hepatitis B surface antigen positive), whether gloves alone suffice (they do not), or what to do first after a needlestick (wash the site and report immediately). Rule of thumb: if you would not want it on your skin, it goes in the biohazard container-and if it splashed, you report it during the same shift.