Compliance of universal precautions: ensures safety to health care providers

Authors

  • Versha Prasad University Institute of Health Sciences, C. S. J. M. University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20213111

Keywords:

Compliance, Universal precautions, Patients safety, Health care providers and occupational risks

Abstract

Healthcare workers (HCWs) such as medical doctors, nurses, laboratory staff and aides who work in the hospitals, clinics and other health care settings are frequently exposed to infectious diseases. Some of these infectious diseases have no available vaccination; consequently, these blood borne infections are a major cause of risk for health care worker. The knowledge and awareness of universal precautions is thus essential for all HCWs and other people in at risk occupations. A review of the literature on universal precaution's using Google search engine was done. Twenty one scientific publications on universal precautions and standard precautions were reviewed and summarized. Health care professionals needed to be updated on the principles of universal basic precautions as it had been proven that there were deficiencies in the knowledge and applications of the practice of the universal precautions. To minimise the risks of acquiring HIV, HBV and other blood borne diseases during performance of job duties, workers should be protected from exposure to blood and other body fluids. In order to protect hospital workers, the hospital authorities must provide general information about the danger to be faced in practises, the ways in which AIDS and hepatitis were transmitted and must give general training with mass awareness to the hospital staff. It can be concluded that hospital staff and authorities other are equally responsible and accountable for transmission of these hospital-acquired information.

References

Mukti A, Treloar C, Suprawimbarti, Asdie AH, D’Este K, Higginbotham N, et al. A universal precautions education intervention for health workers in Sardjito and PKU hospital Indonesia. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2000;31(2):405-11.

Centres for Disease Control. Recommendations for the prevention of HIV transmission in healthcare settings. Morbidity Mortality Rep. 1987;36:1-18.

Elisabetta R, Ustün P, Yuvan H. Assessing the burden of disease from sharps injuries to healthcare workers at national and local levels. World Health Organizat. 2005.

WHO. Fact sheet: World Health Report. Reducing risks, promoting healthy life, 2002. Available at: http://www.who.int/whr. Accessed on 26 June 2021.

Updated US Public Health Service Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. Volume 34: 2013.

Roberts C. Universal precautions: improving the knowledge of trained nurses. Br J Nurs. 2000;9(1):43-7.

Obalum DC, Eyesan SW, Ogo CN, Enweani UN, Ajoku JO. Concerns, attitudes and management of patients with human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in Nigeria. Int Orthop. 2009;33(3):851-4.

Wu S, Li L, Wu Z, Cao H, Lin C, Yan Z, et al. Universal precautions in the era of HIV/AIDS: perception of health service providers in Yunnan, China. AIDS Behav. 2008;12(5):806-14.

Vaziri S, Najafi F, Miri F, Jalalvandi F, Almasi A. Practice of standard precautions among health care workers in a large teaching hospital. Indian J Med Sci. 2008;62(7):292-4.

Suchitra JB, Lakshmi DN. Impact of education on knowledge, attitude and practices among various categories of health care workers on nosocomial infections. Indian J Med Microbiol. 2007;25(3):181-7.

Kotwal A, Taneja DK. Health care workers and universal precautions: perceptions and determinants of non-compliance. Indian J Community Med. 2010;35(4):526-8.

Berguer R, Heller PJ. Strategies for preventing sharp injuries in the operating room. Surg Clin North Am. 2005;85(6):1299-305.

Mangasi NF. Factors influencing the reporting of needle stick injuries among nurses at Mulago hospital. Occupation Health Safety. 2009;19(1):20-2.

Bamigboye AP, Adesanya AT. Knowledge and practice of universal precautions among qualifying medical and nursing students: a case of Obafemi Awolowo University teaching hospitals complex, ILE-IFE. Res J Med Med Sci. 2006;1(3):112-6.

Honda M, Chompikul J, Rattanapan C, Wood G, Klungboonkrong S. Sharp's injuries among nurses in a Thai regional hospital: prevalence and risk factors. Intl J Occup Environ Med. 2011;2(4):215-23.

Nduka I, Aguwa EN, Nduka EC. Training on universal basic precautions and provi s ion of per sonal protective equipment: effect on prevention of transmission of HIV in hospital setting. Gazette Med. 2012;1(1):41-9.

Motamed N, BabaMahmoodi F, Khalilian A, Peykanheirati M, Nozari M. Knowledge and practices of health care workers and medical students towards universal precautions in hospitals in Mazandaran Province. East Mediterr Health J. 2006;12(5):653-61.

Cardo DM, Culver DH, Ciesielski CA, Srivastava PU, Marcus R, Abiteboul D, et al. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Needlestick Surveillance Group. A case-c ontrol study of HIV seroconversion in health care workers after percutaneous exposure. N Engl J Med. 1997;337(21):1485-90.

Kermode M, Jolley D, Langkham B, Thomas MS, Holmes W, Gifford SM. Compliance with Universal Precautions among health care workers in rural north India. Am J Infect Control. 2005;33(1):27-33.

Joukar F, Mansour-Ghanaei F, Naghipour M, Asgharnezhad M. Needlestick injuries among healthcare workers: why they do not report their incidence? Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2018;23(5):382-7.

Chan R, Molassiotis A, Chan E, Chan V, Ho B, Lai CY, et al. Nurses’ knowledge of and compliance with universal precautions in an acute care hospital. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 2002;39(2):157–63.

Sadoh WE, Fawole AO, Sadoh AE, Oladimeji AO, Sotiloye OS. Practice of universal precautions among healthcare workers. J Natl Med Assoc. 2006;98(5):722-6.

CDC. Fact sheet: Universal precautions for prevention of transmission of HIV and other bloodborne infections. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/bp_universal_precautions.html. Accessed on 26 June 2021.

Downloads

Published

2021-07-28

How to Cite

Prasad, V. (2021). Compliance of universal precautions: ensures safety to health care providers. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 9(8), 2514–2519. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20213111

Issue

Section

Review Articles