Title: Demonstrate precautions as prescribed by health and regulatory agencies.
Course: Radiologic Technology II (14105-II) > Section: Examining Professional Standards for Patient Care

Demonstration should include the

- identification of the primary roles of
  - Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  - The Joint Commission regarding safety and health precautions for patients and employees in the healthcare environment.

Demonstration of Standard Precautions should include the

- use of protective barriers, such as gloves, gowns, aprons, masks, or protective eyewear
- implementation of precautions to prevent injuries caused by needles, scalpels, and other sharp instruments or devices.

Demonstration of Transmission-Based Precautions should include the following precautions:

- To prevent airborne transmission
  - special air handling and ventilation systems
  - particulate respirators

- To prevent droplet transmission
  - single-patient room or curtained space for patient
  - mask for patient during transport
  - change of mask and other protective attire and performance of hand hygiene between contact with infected patient and contact with other patients

- To prevent contact transmission
  - hand hygiene
  - donning of PPE before room entry and discarding before exiting the patient’s room
  - cleaning and disinfection of patient-care devices and instruments and other sources of indirect transmission after patient contact

Process/Skill Questions

- What is the difference between Standard Precautions and universal precautions?
- What is the role of the CDC in protecting healthcare personnel and patients?
- What are examples of airborne infections and of infections transmitted by droplets? How do the transmission precautions differ for these two types of infections?
- What is the difference between direct and indirect contact transmission of infection? What are examples of each? What precautions are necessary for each?