22 6. Always take precautions to prevent injury when: using needles, scalpels, and other sharp instruments or devices handling sharp instruments after procedures cleaning used instruments and disposing of used needles or sharps. To prevent needlestick injuries: do not recap used needles by hand do not remove used needles from disposable syringes by hand and do not bend, break, or otherwise manipulate used needles by hand. Place used, disposable syringes and needles, scalpel blades, and other sharp items into puncture-resistant con- tainers as close to the use area as is practical. 7. Strategically locate mouthpieces, resuscitation bags, and other ventilation devices in areas where the need for re- suscitation is predictable. This will help minimize the need for performing emergency resuscitation mouth to mouth. 8. Refrain from providing direct nursing care and from handling care equipment if exudative lesions or weeping dermatitis are present once the condition resolves, the health care worker can resume care. *In 1996, the CDC published standard precautions for isolation precautions in hospitals. Standard precautions synthesize the major features of body substance isolation (BSI) and universal precautions to prevent transmission of a variety of organisms. Standard precautions were devel- oped for use in hospitals and may not necessarily be indicated in other settings where universal precautions are used, such as child care set- tings and schools. This also applies to occupational health settings. Source: CDC. (2005, March). Fact Sheet: Universal Precautions for Prevention of Transmission of HIV and Other Bloodborne Infections. Retrieved July 13, 2007, from www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/bp_universal_precautions.html.
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