Standard precautions

  1. Identify standard precautions to be practiced in patient care. 

Standard Precautions include:

  • Hand Hygiene: Before and after patient contact and after glove removal.

  • Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Such as gloves, gowns, masks, and face shields depending on the anticipated exposure.

  • Respiratory Hygiene and Cough Etiquette: Covering mouth and nose with a tissue or elbow when coughing or sneezing.

  • Safe Injection Practices: Including the use of single-dose vials when possible.

  • Safe Handling of Contaminated Equipment or Surfaces: Ensuring that all potentially contaminated surfaces and equipment are handled appropriately to prevent the spread of infections.

  1. Explain the risk of health care acquired and the post exposure care for HIV and Hepatitis B and C.

HIV Risk: The risk of seroconversion after a needlestick injury is approximately 0.3%. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) should be initiated as soon as possible, preferably within 72 hours, and continued for 28 days.

Basically needlestick is your highest risk of infection.

Hepatitis B Risk: The risk of infection can be as high as 30% if the source patient is HBeAg positive. Vaccination is highly effective in preventing infection.

Hepatitis C Risk: The risk after a needlestick injury is approximately 2-3%. There is currently no vaccine, but follow-up care includes monitoring for seroconversion.

Post-Exposure Care: For all three, post-exposure care includes immediate washing of the exposure site, notification of a supervisor, and follow-up testing and care as per institutional protocols.


  1. Explain best practices to prevent risks of health care exposures to COVID19 in both the suspected or known patient with COVID19, and with the patient population in general.

For Suspected or Known COVID-19 Patients:

  1. Use appropriate PPE, including N95 respirators or PAPRs, eye protection, gowns, and gloves.

  2. Implement airborne, droplet, and contact precautions.

  3. Ensure proper hand hygiene before and after patient contact.

For the General Patient Population:

  1. Encourage the use of surgical masks.

  2. Maintain social distancing where possible.

  3. Frequent hand hygiene and sanitization of commonly touched surfaces.

  4. Limit exposure to potential aerosol-generating procedures unless necessary.

  1. Describe the proper use of sharp containers and safety when using needles, syringes, scalpels, or any sharp objects.

Sharp Containers:

  1. Dispose of needles, scalpels, and other sharp objects immediately after use in a puncture-proof sharps container.

  2. Do not overfill the container; replace it when it's three-quarters full.

Safety Practices:

  1. Never recap needles or use a one-handed technique if recapping is necessary.

  2. Dispose of sharps directly into the container; avoid placing them on nearby surfaces.

  3. Use safety-engineered devices like safety needles, syringes, and scalpels when available.


  1. Name examples of personal protective equipment and describe isolation techniques.

Examples of PPE: Gloves, gowns, face masks, N95 respirators, face shields, and eye protection.

Isolation Techniques:

  • Contact Precautions: For patients with infections that can be spread by direct or indirect contact (e.g., MRSA).

  • Contact Plus Precautions: Enhanced measures for organisms like Clostridioides difficile that require more rigorous cleaning protocols.

  • Droplet Precautions: For infections spread by large respiratory droplets (e.g., influenza, COVID-19).

  • Airborne Precautions: For infections spread by airborne particles (e.g., tuberculosis, measles).


  1. Define the several types of isolation precautions: contact, contact plus, droplet, and airborne.

Contact Precautions: Used for infections spread by direct or indirect contact with the patient or their environment. Requires gown and gloves.

Contact Plus Precautions: Similar to contact precautions but with additional measures for pathogens that are more difficult to eliminate (e.g., C. difficile). Requires gown, gloves, and strict cleaning protocols.

Droplet Precautions: For pathogens spread through large respiratory droplets. Requires a surgical mask, with gown and gloves if close contact is anticipated.

Airborne Precautions: For diseases spread by small airborne particles. Requires the use of an N95 respirator or PAPR, along with gloves and gown.

  1. Describe steps to take in the event of body fluid exposure.

Immediate Steps:

  1. Stop what you are doing immediately.

  2. Wash the exposed skin thoroughly with soap and water; if mucous membranes are exposed, flush with water.

  3. Remove contaminated clothing and dispose of it properly.

  4. Notify your supervisor and seek medical evaluation immediately.

  5. Follow institutional protocols for post-exposure evaluation, including testing and possible post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) depending on the exposure type.