Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. General Requirements. A practitioner who
performs or participates in an invasive procedure or performs a function
ancillary to an invasive procedure shall, in performance of or participation in
any such procedure or function, be familiar with, observe and rigorously adhere
to both general infection control practices and universal blood and body-fluid
precautions as then recommended by the Federal Centers for Disease Control to
minimize the risk of the transmission of HBV or HIV from a practitioner to a
patient, from a patient to a practitioner, or from a patient to a
patient.
B. Universal Blood and
Body-Fluid Precautions. For purposes of this Section, adherence to universal
blood and body-fluid precautions requires observance of the following minimum
standards.
1. Protective Barriers. A
practitioner shall routinely use appropriate barrier precautions to prevent
skin and mucous-membrane contact with blood and other body fluids of all
patients. Gloves and surgical masks shall be worn and shall be changed after
contact with each patient. Protective eyewear or face shields and gowns or
aprons made of materials that provide an effective barrier shall be worn during
procedures that commonly result in the generation of droplets, splashing of
blood or body fluids, or the generation of bone chips. A practitioner who
performs, participates in, or assists in a vaginal or caesarean delivery shall
wear gloves and gowns when handling the placenta or the infant until blood and
amniotic fluid have been removed from the infant's skin and shall wear gloves
during post-delivery care of the umbilical cord. If, during any invasive
procedure, a glove is torn or punctured, the glove should be removed and a new
glove used as promptly as patient safety permits.
2. Hand Washing. Hands and other skin
surfaces shall be washed immediately and thoroughly if contaminated with blood
or other body fluids. Hands shall be washed immediately after gloves are
removed.
3. Percutaneous Injury
Precautions. A practitioner shall take appropriate precautions to prevent
injuries caused by needles, scalpels, and other sharp instruments or devices
during procedures; when cleaning used instruments; during disposal of used
needles; and when handling sharp instruments after procedures. If a needlestick
injury occurs, the needle or instrument involved in the incident should be
removed from the sterile field. To prevent needlestick injuries, needles should
not be recapped, purposely bent, or broken by hand, removed from disposable
syringes, or otherwise manipulated by hand. After they are used, disposable
syringes and needles, scalpel blades, and other sharp items should be placed
for disposal in puncture-resistant containers located as close as practical to
the use area. Large-bore reusable needles should be placed in
puncture-resistant containers for transport to the reprocessing area.
4. Resuscitation Devices. To minimize the
need for emergency mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, a practitioner shall ensure
that mouthpieces, resuscitation bags, or other ventilation devices are
available for use in areas in which the need for resuscitation is
predictable.
5. Sterilization and
Disinfection. Instruments or devices that enter sterile tissue or the vascular
system of any patient or through which blood flows should be sterilized before
reuse. Devices or items that contact intact mucous membranes should be
sterilized or receive high-level disinfection.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
37:1746-1747 and
37:1270(B)(6).
