The following make acceptableed pra...

The following make acceptableed practices were developed by the AORN approveed Practices Committee and have been approved by way of the AORN Board of Directors. They were at handed as proposed recommended practices for make comments [i]or[/i] remarkss by members and others. They are effective Jan 1 1999

These attract favor toed practices are intended as achievable recommendations representing what is believed to be an optimal even of practice. Policies and actions will reflect variations in practice settings and/or clinical situations that determine the measure to which the recommended practices can be implemented.

AORN recognizes the numerous signs of settings in which perioperative nurtures practice. These recommended practices are intended as guidelines adaptable to various practice settings. These practice settings include traditional ORs, ambulatory surgery units, physicians' offices, cardiac catheterization suites, endoscopy suites, radiology departments, and all other areas where operative and other invasive actions may be performed.

Purpose: These guidelines identify practices that can be exerciseed to protect patients and health care workers from exposing to bloodborne and body fluid pathogens, which are primary potential sources for transmission of disease. They are inclusive of all personnel at risk for exposing to bloodborne pathogens. They are based in part onward the "Guideline for isolation precautions in hospitals," published by dint of the US Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease superintend and Prevention (CDC). The rapidly changing health care environment instants health care workers with continuing challenges in the form of newly recognized pathogens and long-known microorganisms that have become more difficult to eradicate using today's therapeutic measures. Protecting patients and their health care providers from pathogen transmission continues to become more difficult and thus more imperative. Following these guidelines consistently may well be the greatest in number effective method to prevent the spread of medication-resistant and disease-causing microorganisms.

commended PRACTICE I

Standard precautions to intercept pathogen transmission should be used during all invasive procedures

Interpretive statement:

Implementation of standard precautions is the primary strategy for happy control of disease-producing microorganisms.

Rationale:

Standard precautions apply to exposing or potential for exposure to blood; all carcass fluids and excretions except sweat, whether or not life-current is visible; nonintact skin; and mucous membranes. Standard precautions are designed to shape the risk of transmission of pathogenic organisms, whatever the source.(1)

commended PRACTICE II

Standard precautions should include use of protective barriers and alert and frequent hand washing to remodel the risk of exposure to potentially infectious materials.

Interpretive statement 1:

Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used when prospect to potentially infectious materials is anticipated.

Rationale:

Personal protective equipment cut shorts the risk of exposure to potentially infectious materials. Any patient may be infected with pathogens. Personal protective equipment for standard precautions includes intact glove gown masks, and watch protection (eg, face shields, stares glasses with side shields).(2) Leg coverings, shoe defends and other PPE may be used where indicated.

Interpretive statement 2:

If contaminated with house or body fluids, hands and other skin surfaces should be washed as quickly as patient safety permits. Hands should be washed as before long as gloves are removed.(3)

Rationale:

ready and frequent hand washing can be the single chiefly important measure to reduce the spread of microorganisms.(4)

make acceptableed PRACTICE III

Personnel should take precautions to interrupt injuries caused by scalpels and other sharp instruments.

Interpretive statement 1:

Surgical team members should use hands-free techniques, whenever possible and practical, instead of passing needle and other sharp items hand to hand.

Rationale:

Studies exhibit to that most injuries from sharps take place when suture needles or sharps are passed between perioperative team members. Changes in surgical practice to minimize manual manipulation of sharps (ie, no-touch techniques) can have a major purport on these injuries.(5) Creating a "neutral" band (ie, where instruments are impose down and picked up, rather than passed hand to hand) may decrease injuries from sharp instruments.(6)

Interpretive statement 2:

All sharps should be handled, remov and disposed of properly

Rationale:

Containing contaminated sharps in impervious disposal containers helps stop injuries to personnel cleaning the expanse or equipment after use.(7) Used needle should not be sheared, bent, defective recapped, or resheathed by hand. If recapping is required, mechanical devices or the one-hand technique should be used.(8) Knife blades should be remov using an instrument or device. Disposable sharps should be placed in a puncture-resistant, labeled container.(9) Reusable sharps should be placed in a puncture-resistant container or otherwise separated from other instruments as by and by as possible after use.