Standard precautions are a set of practices used to prevent transmission of infectious diseases. They include hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, respiratory hygiene, safe injection practices, proper handling and disposal of linens and medical waste, cleaning and disinfection, and patient placement. Standard precautions should be applied universally for all patient care regardless of diagnosis or infectious status.

2. Standard Precautions are a group of practices that
are designed to protect the HCW’s and patients
by preventing the transmission of infectious
diseases from one person to another .
These precautions are to be used, as a minimum,
in the care of all patients regardless of their
diagnosis or their infectious status.
Principle :Standard precautions apply to 1)blood; 2)
all body fluids, secretions and excretions except
sweat, 3)non-intact skin; and 4) mucous
membranes.

3. 1. Hand Hygiene
2. Personal Protective Equipments
3. Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
4. Safe injection Practices
5. Linen and laundry
6. Cleaning and Disinfection of devices and
Environmental Surfaces
7. Patient Placement

4. Most common mode of transmission of
pathogens is via hands. Hand hygiene is
considered the simplest and cheapest method
to reduce the spread of health care
associated infections.

10. 1. Rings: Skin underneath rings is heavily
colonized with bacteria.
2. Fingernails and artificial nails: artificial nails
are not advisable.

11.  Hand washing agents cause irritation and
dryness
 Skins are inconveniently located/ lack of
sinks
 Lack of soap and paper towels
 Too busy/ insufficient time
 Understaffing/ overcrowding
 Patient needs take priority
 Low risk of acquiring infection from patients.

12. 1. Routine/Social
2. Aseptic/Clinical
3. Surgical
LEVEL-1 SOCIAL/ROUTINE
HANDHYGIENE
LEVEL-2 ASEPTIC/CLINICAL
HANDHYGIENE
LEVEL-3 SURGICAL HAND
HYGIENE
At least 15-20
seconds
1 min(60secs) 3 minutes

13.  Keep nails short and pay attention to them when washing
your hands – most microbes on hands come from beneath
the fingernails.
 Do not wear artificial nails or nail polish.
 Remove all jewellery (rings, watches, bracelets) before
entering the operating theatre.

14. Total Duration -3 minutes
Step 1: Duration two minutes
 Preliminary step: Rinse the hands and arms and wash with sufficient
antimicrobial soap to 2.5cm above the elbows (20 seconds). This preliminary
step ensures adequate skin coverage and contact time during Step.
 Without rinsing, apply additional antimicrobial solution and wash all
surfaces of hands and forearms working from nail beds and between fingers
before proceeding to wash the forearms (to the level of the elbows) using
circular motions .(10 strokes of each step). Apply more antimicrobial
soap if necessary.
 On completion, rinse the hands and forearms
Step 2: Duration one minute
 Hands and forearms are washed again using the same principles and
procedures above, but stopping at mid forearm. On completion rinse the
hands and forearms. Finally, the hands and forearms are rinsed
thoroughly(5 strokes of each steps ).

16.  When to wear PPE:These are specialized clothing
or equipment worn by an employee for
protection against infectious materials.
When to use: When you are anticipated to blood
and body fluid exposure irrespective of the
infectious status.
Types of PPE:
• Gloves protect hands
• Gown/ aprons protect skin and clothing
• Masks- Protect mouth/nose
• Goggles- protect eyes
• Face shields- protect face, mouth, nose and eyes.

17.  Where to remove PPE:
• At doorway, before leaving patient room
Ensure that hh facilities are available at the
point needed, eg sink or alcohol based hand
rub.

18.  Gloves : Wear gloves when there is
potential contact with blood , body
fluids, mucous membranes,
nonintact skin or contaminated
equipment. Sterile gloves are worn
when sterile procedures are
undertaken
 Wear gloves that fit appropriately(
select gloves according to hand size)
• Do not wear the same pair of gloves
for the care of more than one
patient.
• Do not wash gloves for the purpose
of reuse.
• Perform hand hygiene before and
immediately after removing gloves

21. • Gown: Wear a gown to
protect skin and clothing
during procedures or
activities where contact
with blood or body fluids
is anticipated.
• Do not wear the same
gown for the care of
more than one patient
• Remove gown and
perform hand hygiene
before leaving the
patient’s environment

23.  Sequence for donning PPE
 Gown first
 Mask or respirator
 Goggles or face shield
 Gloves

24. Removing Isolation gown
 Unsafe ties
 Peel gown away from neck and shoyulder
 Turn contaminated outside toward the inside.
 Fold or roll into a bundle
 Discard

25. Face mask
Wear a facemask:
When there is potential contact
with respiratory secretions and
sprays of blood or body fluids
May be used in combination with
goggles or face shield to protect
the mouth, nose and eyes.
When placing a catheter or
injecting material into the spinal
canal or subdural space (to
protect patients from exposure
to infectious agents carried in
the mouth or nose of health care
personnel)
Wear a facemask to perform
intrathecal chemotherapy.

26.  Place over nose, mouth and chin
 Fit flexible node piece over nose bridge
 Secure on head with ties or elastic
 Adjust to fit

27.  Respirators
 If available, wear N95 –
or higher respirators foe
potential exposure t
infectious agents
transmitd via airborne
route (eg. Tuberculosis).
 All healthcare personnel
that use N 95 or higher
respirator are fit tested
at least annualy and
according the
requirement.

28. How to don a mask
Place over nose, mouth and chin
Fit flexible nose piece over nose bridge
Secure on head with ties or elastic
Adjust to fit
Removing a mask
Untie the bottom, then top, tie
Remove from face
Discard

29.  Goggles, face shields
Wear eye protection for potential
splash or spray of blood ,
respiratory secretions, or other
body fluids
 Personal eye glasses and contact
lenses are not considered
adequate eye protection
 May use goggles with face mask,
or face shield alone to protect
the mouth, nose and eyes
Googles should fit snuggly over
and around eyes
Face shields protect face, nose,
mouth, and eyes. It should cover
forehead, extend below chin and
wrap around side of face

30. How to don eye and face protection
Position goggles over eyes and secure to the
head using the ear pieces or headband
Position face shield over face and secure on
brow with headband
Adjust to fit comfortably.

33.  Respiratory etiquettes are meant to prevent the
transmission of respiratory infections in the facility,
infection prevention measures are implemented for
all potentially infected persons at the point of entry
and continuing throughout the duration of the visit.
This applies to any person(eg. Patients and
accompanying family members, caregivers, and
visitors) with signs and symptoms of repiratory
illness including cough, congestion or increased
production of respiratory secretions.
 Identifying persons with potential respiratory
infection: Facility staff remain alert for any persons
arriving with symptoms of a respiratory infection

34.  All persons with signs and symptoms of a respiratory
infection(including facility staff) are instructed to:
 Cover mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or
sneezing;
 Dispose of the used tissue in the nearest waste receptacle
 Perform hand hygiene after contact with respiratory
secretions and contaminated objects/ materials.
 Place the coughing patient in an exam room with a closed
door as soon as possible(if suspicious for airborne
transmission, refer to airborne precautions )if an exam
room is not available, the patient should sit as far from
other patients as possible in the waiting room
 Accompanying persons who have symptoms of a
respiratory infection should not enter patient care areas
and are encourages to wait outside the facility

36.  Maintain HH before preparing
injections.
 The cleaning of injection site should
be circular- from inward to outwards
 Always use separate fresh spirit swab
to clan the injection site before
giving injection.
 Ensure one needle, one syringe and
one patient
 Take all precautions to avoid NSI
 Do not attempt to recap or bend
needles
 If using MDV, do not keep the needle
inserted in the rubber
septum/stopper.

37.  Safe injection Practicesrefers to the proper use and handling of supplies
for administering injections and infusions(e.g. syringes, needles,
fingerstick devices, intravenous tubing, medication vial and parenteral
solutions). These practices are intended to prevent transmission of
infectious diseases between one patient and another, or between a
patient and health care personnel during preperation and administration
of parenteral medication.
 General safe injection Practices
 Use aseptic technique to avoid contamination of sterile injection
equipment.
 Do not administer medications from a syringe to multiple patients, even
if the needle or cannula on the syringe is changed. Needles, cannula and
syringes are sterile, single-use items; they should neither be reused for
another patient nor to access a medication or solution that might be
used for a subsequent patient. Use fluid infusion and administration sets
(i.e., intravenous bags, tubings and connectors) for one patient only and
dispose appropriately after use. Consider a syringe or needle/cannula
contaminated once it has been used to enter or connect to a patient’s
intravenous infusion bag or administration set.

38.  Use single dose vials for parenteral medication
whenever possible.
 Do not administer medications from single dose vials
or ampules to multiple patients or combine leftover
contents for later use.
 If multidose vials must be used, both the needles or
cannula and syringe used to access the multidose vial
must be sterile.
 Do not keep multidose vials in the immediate patient
treatment area and store in accordance with the
manufacturer’s recommendations; discard if sterility
is compromised or questionable.
 Cleanse the access diaphragms of medication vials
with 70% alcohol and allow the alcohol to dry before
inserting a device into the vial.

40.  If linen is contaminated by blood or body
fluids, collect in defined bags with biohazard
symbol and label properly with type of
contamination(urin, feces, blood) and area of
generation. Transport to the laundry by
separate covered linen-carrying trolleys.
Contaminated/soiled linen should be treated
by a bleaching agent(preferably hypochlorite)

41.  CLEAN LINEN : This refers to the clean &
laundered linen.
 USED LINEN : Which is coming out for patient,
which is not contaminated by blood and body
fluids.
 SOILED LINEN /INFECTED/CONTAMINATED LINEN
:This refers to linen contaminated with blood or
other body fluids,e.g faeces.It specifically applies
to linen that has been used by a patient or client
who is known or suspected to be carrying
potentially pathogenic microorganisms, linen
from infectious(or isolated)patients/clients or
those suspected of being infectious.

42.  All laundry staff shall follow standard
precautions &hand washing shall be adhered
to strictly.

43.  Handle all contaminated linens with minimum agitation to avoid
contamination of air, surfaces, and persons
 Do not sort or rinse soiled linens in patient-care areas
 Collect in defined bags with biohazard symbol and label properly
with types of contamination, area of generation. Transport to the
laundry by separate covered linen carrying trolleys
 Contaminated /soiled linen should be treated by a bleaching
agent
 Linen shall not be placed/dropped on the floor or on other
surfaces which may be touched frequently as this could lead to
contamination , especially during care delivery e.g : locker/table
top.
 Staff shall avoid shaking linen as this may result in the dispersal
of potentially pathogenic microorganisms and/or skin scales into
the environment.
 Hand hygiene shall be performed following handling of linen.

44.  Appropriate and clean bags e.g:linen hampers
shall be made available as close to the point
of use as possible.
 Linen soiled or contaminated with blood or
other body fluids, shall be placed directly into
a pink polybags . This bag indicates that linen
is soiled/foul.

45.  PPE shall be worn appropriately to protect
those transporting linen,e.g: Gloves
 Measures shall be in place to ensure that
linen for use arrives clean
 Inspection shall be carried out of those
transporting linen e.g. :auditing of trolleys to
ensure these are clean and that cages are
used for storage of linen in these settings
with clear separation of clean and dirty linen.

46.  Laundry staff shall wear PPE as appropriate,
e.g :gloves,apron.
 When sorting other used linen,laundry
workers shall ensure that any abrasions or
cuts are covered and gloves and other PPE is
worn.
 Inappropriate items found during the sorting
of linen,e.g catheter bags,sharps,shall be
reported.
 The vehicle shall be disinfected after carrying
dirty laundry.

48. Determine patient placement based on the
following principles:
 Place patient in a single patient room who:
 Pose a risk for transmission infection to
others.
 Route(s) of transmission of the known or
suspected infectious agent.
 Availability of single-patient rooms

50. Clean and disinfect surfaces :bed rails, over
bed table and frequently-touched surfaces in
the patient care environment(eg., door knobs
etc).

51.  Clean and disinfect surfaces that are likely to
be contaminated with pathogens. Including
those that are in close proximity to the
patient (eg., bed rails, over bed tables) and
frequently-touched surfaces in the patient
care environment(eg., door knobs, surfaces in
and surrounding toilets in patients’ rooms)
on a more frequent schedule compared to
that for other surfaces.
 Use hospital approved disinfectants. Use in
accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.

52.  Designated personnel : responsible for cleaning and
disinfection of environmental surfaces and medical
equipment are assigned to specific persnnel. All assigned
personnel are trained in the appropriate
 Cleaning /disinfection procedures and the proper use of
PPE and cleaning products. Supplies and cleaning
products :
 Use EPA- registered disinfectant with appropriate
germicidal claim for the infective agent of concern (may
vary depending on situation) and follow the
manufacturer’s safety precautions and instructions|(e.g.
amound, dilution, safe use, storage and disposal) for
cleaning/ disinfection.Products and supplies are reviewed
periodically to ensure that the materials used are
consistent with the existing guidelines and meet the needs
of the staff