A health care set up on any average day has to deal with several kinds of medical treatments which may range from something as simple as administering injections, bandaging wounds, to more invasive procedures like blood tests, biopsies and surgeries. In all such cases there is a constant risk of coming into contact with the body fluids of a patient that may be possibly infected and can lead to contracting dangerous diseases. Universal precautions have thus been made mandatory to protect the health care personnel when discharging routine duties.

However that is a certain section of people who are trained in health care but work outside typical setups like hospitals, but are equally vulnerable because they have to deal with patients or fluids like any hospital staff. Now given the standard infrastructure and surveillance present in most hospitals it is much easier to implement such precautionary measures, but universal precautions are a must even for those operating on the outside.

Two alternative areas that should adopt universal precautions are explored below.

– Home Health Care: Home care is also provided by health care professionals like nurses and doctors, the only difference being that such care instead of taking place in a conventional hospital is carried on at the person’s home. A home care worker must wear gloves whenever administering any treatment to a patient at home. In addition a face mask may also be used if the patient is suffering from a particularly contagious disease that may spread through secretions discharged upon coughing and sneezing. Infection can also spread by Needlestick injuries so there should be a suitable container for storing used needles for safety. You must make sure to keep an adequate supply of gloves, masks, disposable bags and any other gear that is required at the patient’s home. In addition also take the necessary precautions while attending to any blood or fluid spills and remember to wash your hands with an anti-bacterial soap after any kind of treatment, and especially after cleaning up spills. Home care workers have to be doubly careful and adhere to universal precautions and be well prepared for any hazardous situations.

– Child Care Centers: The Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) recommends a complete set of universal precautions for personnel working in child care centers. Children are more prone to nicks and cuts that might bleed and require bandaging. Also children can be careless when it comes to coughing and sneezing. If the child happens to be carrying a certain infection then it can easily pass on to the worker who is taking care of them and comes in close contact. Thus you must always wear gloves when handling such situations and any soiled materials must be put in bags and sealed. Also remember to wash your hands thoroughly soon after discarding your gloves.

Workers have to extremely vigilant when performing their duties in the above locations as the risk of contracting diseases is present here too. Using proper protective gear is the most effective way to shield you from the risk of infection.

For more information, please visit our universal precautions website.

For more information, please visit our universal precautions website http://www.universalprecautions.com

Author Bio: For more information, please visit our universal precautions website.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: AIDS,HIV,Safety,Universal Precautions