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Serving Florida
Erik Helms
Program Director
1-877-282-2071
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Universal Precautions and Personal
Protective Equipment
Blood Spill
"Universal Precautions'' is
way to limit the spread of disease by preventing contact with
blood and certain body fluids.
Bloodborne pathogens are viruses or bacteria that are carried
in blood and can cause disease in people. There are many different
bloodborne pathogens, but Hepatitis B (HBV) and the Human lmmunodeficiency
Virus (HlV) are the two diseases commonly addressed by health
and safety standards.s'6,7'd There are no documented cases of
human immunodet-iciency virus (HlV), hepatitis B (HBV), or hepatitis
C (HCV) infection transmitted by mouth-to-mouth ventilation.
The estimated risk for acquiring HIV, HBV, or HCV infection
during basic life support is extremely low, about one in one
million.
There have been no reports of infection acquired during CPR
training. Simple infection-control measures, including use of
barrier devices, can reduce the risk for acquisition of an infectious
disease during CPR and CPR training.? To observe universal precautions''
means that whether or not you think the victim's blood or body
fluid is infected, you act as if it is. The risk of getting
disease while giving BLS is extremely low. Observing universal
precautions for victims of all ages will make it lower.
Personal Protective Equipment
These are barriers between you and the victim's blood or body
fluid. A simple but effective barrier for skin-to-skin contact
is created when you wear protective gloves when caring for a
wound or use a face shield or mask when performing rescue breathing.
Disposable Gloves
Quickly inspect gloves before putting them on. lf a glove is
damaged, don't use it! When taking contaminated gloves off,
do it carefully. Don't snap them. This may cause blood to splatter..
Never wash or reuse disposable gloves. lf you find yourself
in a first aid situation and you don't have any standard personal
protective equipment handy, improvise.
Use a towel, plastic bag, or some other barrier to help avoid
direct contact. Make sure there is always a fresh supply of
gloves in your t-irst aid kit.
Observe Universal Precautions
Eye Protection
Anytime there is a risk of splatter, you should use goggles
or safety glasses with side protection to help protect your
eyes.
Student Handbook
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