Infection Control and Standard Precautions
What this domain covers
Standard precautions apply to every client, every time, because any client may carry an infection. Know the six links in the chain of infection (agent, reservoir, exit, transmission, entry, susceptible host) and that breaking any link prevents spread.
Hand hygiene is the single most effective measure. Wash with soap and water when hands are visibly soiled and for C. difficile or norovirus; otherwise an alcohol-based rub is acceptable. Clean hands before client contact, before a clean task, after body-fluid exposure, after contact with surroundings, and after removing gloves.
Personal protective equipment: gloves, gown, mask, and eye protection as the task requires. Don gloves last and remove them first, then perform hand hygiene. Gloves never replace handwashing and must not be worn from one task or client to another.
Transmission-based precautions add contact, droplet, or airborne measures. Follow the care plan, keep equipment clean, bag supplies correctly, handle spills with the right disinfectant, and never recap needles - report any needlestick or exposure immediately.
Traps
Using alcohol rub instead of soap and water for C. difficile; wearing gloves to answer a phone; doffing in the wrong order; failing to report an exposure because 'it was tiny.'
Rule of thumb
Clean hands are the single most effective way to prevent infection - before and after every client contact and after removing gloves.