Practical guidelines for body substance precautions in long term care.
In recent years acute care hospitals have recognized increasing risks to caregivers for acquiring infections in the workplace. As a result, many acute care hospitals are instituting body substance precautions as their infection control policy. However, little attention has been given to similar precautions in long term care facilities even though there is substantial potential for infection in elderly populations. Increased infection rates in the elderly are related to an age-associated decline in immunological functioning and underlying diseases. Infection control guidelines which currently exist for long term care facilities are general and lack the required specificity for task-centred caregivers. Before implementing body substance precautions, management and caregivers will have to consider issues such as the inappropriate use of barrier precautions and the attendant financial implications. Once a commitment to the infection control policy has been made, a task-specific guideline designed for long term care activities will facilitate implementation of body substance precautions. With multidisciplinary planning and education, body substance precautions can effectively be introduced into long term care facilities with benefits resulting to staff and residents.
Dedhar
J
J
Enquist
G
G
D001826:Body Fluids; D002985:Clinical Protocols / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000592:standards*; D016635:Universal Precautions