Emergency Preparedness

Kern Medical Bioterrorism Response Guide Section 2A – STANDARD AND CONTACT PRECAUTIONS

Place patients in an available bed on any nursing unit. Patients with similar syndromes may also be cohorted (grouped) in semi-private or multiple-bed rooms. Special ventilation is not required. Consider placing patients who consistently soil the immediate environment with visible blood or body fluids (e.g., incontinence, wound drainage not contained by a dressing or poor hygienic habits) in a private room. Visitors Limit visitors to immediate family members and significant others. Instruct visitors to wash their hands before and after patient contact and before leaving the patient’s room. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Gloves Wear disposable gloves when contact with visible blood and body fluids is anticipated. Gloves should also be worn when touching environmental surfaces and patient care articles visibly soiled with blood or body fluids. Gloves should be put on just prior to performing a patient care task that involves contact with blood or body fluids and removed immediately, without touching non-contaminated surfaces, when the task is complete. When performing multiple procedures on the same patient, gloves should be changed after contact with blood and body fluids that contain high concentrations of microorganisms (e.g., feces, wound drainage or oropharyngeal secretions) and before contact with a clean body site such as non-intact skin and vascular access sites. Facial Protection Wear disposable, fluid-resistant masks and eye shields (goggles with side-shields) or a face shield if the patient is coughing or when performing patient care tasks likely to generate splashing or spraying of blood and body fluids onto the mucous membranes of the face. Gowns Wear disposable, fluid-repelling gowns to protect skin and clothing when performing procedures likely to generate splashing or spraying of blood and body fluids. Plastic aprons may be worn for procedures likely to soil clothing but are unlikely to generate splashing or spraying of blood or body fluids (e.g., cleaning incontinent patients). The material composition of the gown should be appropriate to the amount of fluid penetration likely to be encountered. Remove soiled gowns after patient contact. Reusable cloth gowns may be used for patient contacts, if splashing or spraying of blood and body fluids is unlikely. Disposable or reusable gowns should be worn once and then discarded.

5