When would you use standard precautions over sterile precautions while taking care of your patient, and why? With substantial details that demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and critical thinking.
It would be best to use complete sentences to answer the questions. Ensure that you are using correct grammar. In addition, support your answers using your textbook, course materials, credible internet resources, and scholarly journals. All citations must be in APA format.
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Standard precautions are the basic level of infection prevention and control practices that are applied to the care of all patients in any healthcare setting. Sterile precautions, on the other hand, are used when there is a need to prevent infection transmission by eliminating all microorganisms from an area, equipment, or surgical site. The decision to use standard precautions over sterile precautions depends on the patient’s condition, the type of procedure being performed, and the potential for infection transmission.
Standard precautions are used for routine patient care to reduce the risk of transmission of bloodborne and other pathogens in any healthcare setting. These precautions involve the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection, as well as hand hygiene and safe injection practices. Standard precautions are used regardless of the patient’s diagnosis or presumed infectious status. Therefore, they are an essential component of infection prevention and control in any healthcare setting.
Sterile precautions, on the other hand, are used in situations where there is a need to eliminate all microorganisms from an area, equipment, or surgical site to prevent infection transmission. These precautions include the use of sterile gloves, gowns, masks, and other sterile equipment. Sterile precautions are commonly used in invasive procedures, such as surgery or inserting central lines or catheters, where there is a high risk of infection transmission. Additionally, sterile precautions are used when caring for patients who have weakened immune systems or are at high risk of infection.
In summary, the decision to use standard precautions over sterile precautions is based on the patient’s condition and the type of procedure being performed. Standard precautions are used for routine patient care to reduce the risk of transmission of bloodborne and other pathogens in any healthcare setting, while sterile precautions are used in situations where there is a need to eliminate all microorganisms from an area, equipment, or surgical site to prevent infection transmission. Regardless of the precautions being used, healthcare workers must follow proper infection prevention and control practices, including hand hygiene, to reduce the risk of infection transmission in any healthcare setting.
