February 2021Isolation PrecautionsIsolation precautions create barriers between microbes and patients, staff, and equipment to preventthe spread of infection in the health care setting.Standard PrecautionsStandard precautions are based on the principle that all blood, body fluids, secretions, excretionsexcept sweat, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes may contain transmissible infectious agents.Standard precautions are the minimal protection that should be used to care for all patients at all timesto protect health care workers and to prevent spread from health care worker to patient. They apply toall patients, regardless of suspected or confirmed infection status in all health care settings.Hand Hygiene•Either soap and water or alcohol-based hand disinfection (AHD) may be used.•Perform after touching blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, and contaminated items.•Perform immediately after removing gloves and before and after patient contact.Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)•Gloves: for touching blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, contaminated items,mucous membranes, and non-intact skin•Gown: during procedures and patient care activities with anticipated exposure of skin/ clothesto body fluids, secretions, excretions•Mask/eye protection: during procedures and patient care activities with anticipated splashesor sprays of blood, body fluids, or secretions
