Where no Prior Consent has been Obtained Under these circumstances legal and cultural issues will need attention. Information and Guidelines - Infection Control Standard Precautions Standard Precautions are work practices required for the basic level of infection control. They include good hygiene practices, particularly washing and drying hands before and after patient contact, the use of protective barriers which may include gloves, gowns, plastic aprons, masks, eye shields or goggles, appropriate handling and disposal of sharps and other contaminated or infectious waste, and use of aseptic techniques. Standard Precautions include Enteric Precautions . Standard precautions also apply to dried blood and other body substances, including saliva.
Sharps represent the major causes of accidents involving potential exposure to blood borne diseases.
Sharps must be handled with care at all times. Methods of handling sharps during medical or dental procedures should be devised so as to minimise the risk of injury. Sharp instruments MUST NOT be passed by hand between Health Care Workers . Where possible, alternatives should be considered, including needleless IV systems, use of blunt needles for drawing up sterile solutions from ampoules, or retractable needle and syringe systems. To prevent injury, needles should not be resheathed unless an approved recapping device is used.