Universal Precautions

Course overview

Universal precautions were introduced by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 1985, mostly in response to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic. Universal precautions are a standard set of guidelines to prevent the transmission of bloodborne pathogens from exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). This activity reviews universal precautions and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in their application. Objectives: Review the types of universal precautions. Describe standard precautions. Summarize airborne precautions. Outline how an interprofessional team can work together to apply universal precautions to achieve better patient outcomes. Citation: Broussard IM, Kahwaji CI. Universal Precautions. [Updated 2022 Sep 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470223/ ** Please note that this course does not have all of our approval boards. It is the practitioners responsibility to ensure that this course meets their discipline and state CE requirements.