Fiona Gracie
Head nurse, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
London, UK
These precautions were recommended many years ago
by the World Health Organisation to protect health care workers from all
blood-borne diseases.
Treat all body fluid and tissues as potentially
dangerous i.e. infections.
These principles must be universally applied or you are placing yourselves and
others and risk.
• Open cuts or sores on the skins
• Accidents such as needles pricks or blood
splashes
• Carelessness such as discarding needles and
blades unsafely
• Poor practice such as reuse of equipment
without sterilisation
Factors increasing risk include
• Poor lighting
• Emergency situations
• Lack of gloves and other protective barriers
• Lack of disinfectants
• Lack of concentration and tiredness
• Concentrate on the task in hand and remove
unnecessary distractions
• Careful handling, cleaning and disposal of
sharps
never recap needles
dispose of sharps in puncture proof
containers
never walk around with and exposed used
needle
• Hands should be washed and dried before and
after working with a patient
• Using protecting barriers such as good quality disposable gloves and
plastic aprons are worn when handling blood, or any other body fluid or
equipment contaminated with blood
• Although there is no evidence that HIV is airborne, masks, gowns and
eye protection should be worn when procedures, which may cause aerosol spray of
body fluids, such as bronchoscopes/dentistry are carried out
• Skin must be thoroughly washed with soap and
water if contaminated with blood, body fluids, excretion or secretions from any
patient
• Dispose safely of waste contaminated with blood
and body fluid
• Careful handling of soiled linen
• Spillage of blood and other body fluid should
be treated with a chlorine based compound and then cleaned up with disposable
paper while wearing gloves and aprons
• Cover broken skin sores or cuts with a water
proof dressing before contact with patients