COMPLIANCE INFO_1983-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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A I D S INFECTTCN CCNTRCL PRACTICES 1. Extraordinary care must be taken to avoid accidental wounds from sharp Instru- ments (i.e., needles, syringes) contaminated with potentially infectious material and to avoid contact of open skin lesions with material from, AIDS patients. 2. Disposable .syringes and needles are preferred. *Cnly needle -locking syringes or one-piece needle -syringe units should be used to aspirate fluids from patients, so that collected fluid can be safely di.scharged through the needle, if desired. 3. Glo-/es should be worn when handling blood specimens, blood -soiled Items, body fluids, excretions, and secretions, as well as surfaces, materials, and objects exposed to them. 4. Hands should be washed after removin,,C, gowns and gloves and before leaving the 0 rooms of known or suspected AIDS patients. Hands should also be washed thoroughly and immediately if they become contaminated with blood. 5. Blood and other specimens should be labeled prominently with a special warning "AIDS Precautions." If the outside of the specimen container is visibly con- taminated wtth blood, it should be cleaned with a disinfectant such as 1:10 dilution of 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) with water. All blood specimens should be placed in a second container, such as a bag, for transport. The container or bag should be examined carefully for leaks or cracks. 6. Mechanical pipetting devices should be used for the manipulation of all liquids C� in the laboratory. Mouth pipetting should not be allowed. 7. Laboratory coats, gowns, or uniforms should be worn while working with potentially infectious materi.als and should be discarded appropriately before leaving the laboratory. 8. All procedures and manipulations of potentially i.nfectious material should be per- formed carefully to minimize the creation of droplets and aerosols. 9. Biological safety cabinets and other primary containment devices (e.g., centri- fuge safety cups) are advised whenever procedures are conducted that have a high potential for creat;.n- aerosols or infectious droplets. These include centri.- fuging, blending, sonicating, vigorous mixing, and harvesting i.nfecti.ous tissue from animals or embryonated eggs. Fluorescent activated cell sorters generate droplets that could potentially result in infectious aerosols. Translucent plastic '0 shielding between the droplet - C, collectin-, area and the equipment operator should be used to reduce the presently uncertain magnitude of this risk. Primary containment devices are also used in handling materials that might contain concentrated infectous agents or organisms in greater quantities than expected in clinical specimens. 10. Laboratory work surfaces should be decontaminated with th a disinfectant, such as sodium hypochlorite solution, following any spill of potentially infectious material C� and at the completion of work activities. 11. All potentially contaminated materials used in laboratory tests should be decon- taminated, preferably by autoclaving, before disposal or reprocessing. 12. All personnel should wash their hands following completion of laboratory activities, removal of protective clothing, and before leaving the laboratory. continued on next page----------