Universal application, components, safe injection practices, and environmental decontamination
Standard precautions are the foundation of infection prevention in home care — a baseline level of protection applied to every client at every visit, regardless of known or suspected infection status. They represent the synthesis of universal precautions and body substance isolation, and they form the minimum standard below which home care infection control never falls.
Standard precautions were developed by the CDC and are endorsed by OSHA as the minimum infection prevention standard for all healthcare settings. They assume that blood, all body fluids (except sweat), non-intact skin, and mucous membranes may contain transmissible infectious agents — regardless of whether the client has a known diagnosis.
The practical implication: standard precautions are never selectively applied. Every client, every visit, every time. The risk of not knowing is far greater than the inconvenience of consistent precautions.
The single most effective infection prevention measure. Required before and after all client contact, before performing aseptic procedures, after contact with body fluids, after glove removal, and after contact with the client's environment.
Based on anticipated exposure: gloves for contact with blood/body fluids/non-intact skin; gowns when soiling is possible; masks and eye protection when splashing is anticipated.
One needle, one syringe, one client — every time without exception. Never reuse syringes or needles between clients or between uses on the same client. Never access multi-dose vials with used equipment. Discard single-dose vials after one use. Maintain sterility of IV fluids and medication containers.
Applies to clients and clinicians: cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing (use tissue or elbow, not hands), dispose of tissues immediately, perform hand hygiene after, and maintain spatial separation (≥3 feet) from others when symptomatic.
Never recap used needles with two hands. Never bend, break, or hand-carry used sharps. Dispose in puncture-resistant sharps containers at point of use. Transport sharps containers sealed and upright.
Client care equipment must be cleaned and disinfected between uses. Surfaces contaminated with blood or body fluids must be decontaminated using an EPA-registered disinfectant appropriate for the surface type, applied with sufficient contact time (the surface must remain visibly wet for the contact time specified on the product label). In the home setting, the clinician is responsible for cleaning their own equipment and any surfaces contaminated during care.
Complete this 5-question quiz with 80% or higher to earn your CEU credit for this lesson.