Universal precautions: Difference between revisions

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In [[health care]], '''universal precautions''' are "prudent standard preventive measures to be taken by professional and other health personnel in contact with persons afflicted with a communicable disease, to avoid contracting the disease by contagion or infection. Precautions are especially applicable in the diagnosis and care of [[AIDS]] patients."<ref>{{MeSH}}</ref>
In [[health care]], '''universal precautions''' are "prudent standard preventive measures to be taken by professional and other health personnel in contact with persons afflicted with a communicable disease, to avoid contracting the disease by contagion or infection. Precautions are especially applicable in the diagnosis and care of patients with [[AIDS]]"<ref>{{MeSH}}</ref> or other blood-borne diseases, especially [[hepatitis B]].


The [[United States]] [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] has published details on universal precautions in [[health care]].<ref name="pmid2836717">{{cite journal |author= |title=Update: universal precautions for prevention of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and other bloodborne pathogens in health-care settings |journal=MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. |volume=37 |issue=24 |pages=377–82, 387–8 |year=1988 |month=June |pmid=2836717 |doi= |url=http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/00000039.htm |issn=}}</ref><ref name="urlPerspectives in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Update: Universal Precautions for Prevention of Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Other Bloodborne Pathogens in Health-Care Settings">{{cite web |url=http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/00000039.htm |title=Perspectives in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Update: Universal Precautions for Prevention of Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Other Bloodborne Pathogens in Health-Care Settings |author=Anonymous |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=1988 |format= |work= |publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= |accessdate=}}</ref>
The [[United States]] [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] has published details on universal precautions in [[health care]].<ref name="pmid2836717">{{cite journal |author= |title=Update: universal precautions for prevention of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, and other bloodborne pathogens in health-care settings |journal=MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. |volume=37 |issue=24 |pages=377–82, 387–8 |year=1988 |month=June |pmid=2836717 |doi= |url=http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/00000039.htm |issn=}}</ref><ref name="urlPerspectives in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Update: Universal Precautions for Prevention of Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Other Bloodborne Pathogens in Health-Care Settings">{{cite web |url=http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/00000039.htm |title=Perspectives in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Update: Universal Precautions for Prevention of Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Other Bloodborne Pathogens in Health-Care Settings |author=Anonymous |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=1988 |format= |work= |publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= |accessdate=}}</ref>
Beyond the level of universal precautions are the [[biosafety level]]s for education using known nonpathogenic organisms (i.e., Biosafety Level 1),  up to the handling of the most dangerous, highly infectious diseases with no effective treatment (e.g., [[Ebola]] at Biosafety Level 4).  Most work with known human pathogens should be at Level 2 or higher.<ref name=BMBL>{{citation
| url = http://www.cdc.gov/OD/ohs/biosfty/bmbl4/bmbl4toc.htm
| title = Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories  (BMBL) 4th Edition
| author = U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control]] and [[National Institutes of Health]]
}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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In health care, universal precautions are "prudent standard preventive measures to be taken by professional and other health personnel in contact with persons afflicted with a communicable disease, to avoid contracting the disease by contagion or infection. Precautions are especially applicable in the diagnosis and care of patients with AIDS"[1] or other blood-borne diseases, especially hepatitis B.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published details on universal precautions in health care.[2][3]

Beyond the level of universal precautions are the biosafety levels for education using known nonpathogenic organisms (i.e., Biosafety Level 1), up to the handling of the most dangerous, highly infectious diseases with no effective treatment (e.g., Ebola at Biosafety Level 4). Most work with known human pathogens should be at Level 2 or higher.[4]

References