What it means
Every client's blood, body fluids (except sweat), broken skin and mucous membranes are treated as possibly infectious. Standard precautions include hand hygiene, gloves, gowns, masks and eye protection when splashes are likely, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, safe injection practices and safe handling of sharps, cleaning of equipment and surfaces, and safe handling of linen. They replaced the older "universal precautions." isolation precautionseye-suh-LAY-shun prih-KAW-shunzExtra infection-control measures, added to standard precautions, for clients known or thought to have certain contagious infections.Full entry are added on top for certain infections.
For the nurse
Choose protective equipment by the task: gloves to touch body fluids, adding gown, mask and eye protection when spraying or splashing could happen.
At a glance
| Spanish | precauciones estándar |
|---|---|
| Also written | standard precaution, standard-precautions |
Related terms
precaution
A step taken ahead of time to prevent harm, such as the infection-control practices used with every client.
hand hygiene
Cleaning the hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
medical asepsis
Clean technique: practices that lower the number of germs and stop them spreading from one person or object to another.
infection control
The policies and practices used in health care to prevent the spread of infection.
isolation precautions
Extra infection-control measures, added to standard precautions, for clients known or thought to have certain contagious infections.