INFECTION PREVENTION AND UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS

• Protect areas of broken skin, open wounds with watertight dressings
• Treat all body substances of all people as potentially infectious
• Clean blood spills immediately and safely
• Asepsis depends on standard procedures, staff training, personal discipline, attention to detail
• Trauma situations are chaotic, defenses are down, injuries happen quickly. Precautions are often missed, forgotten, ignored
• Wear gloves during exposure to blood or body fluids, wash hands afterwards
• Wash immediately with soap and water in case of skin exposure, whether from a splash, glove puncture or non-gloved contact
• Wear protective glasses where blood splashes may occur; wash out eyes with water as soon as possible if splashed
• Wear protective gown or apron if splash potential exists
• Infection is the most important and preventable cause of impaired wound healing
• Microorganisms can reach tissues during surgery or manipulation of surgical wound carried and transmitted by:
  • People, including patients
  • Inanimate objects, including instruments, sutures, linen, swabs, solutions, mattresses, blankets
  • Air around wounds, which can be contaminated by dust and droplets of moisture from anyone assisting at surgery or caring for wound
• Aseptic treatment of a wound: an attempt to prevent bacterial contamination prevent bacterial contamination from these sources, during surgery, initial phase of healing