Overview
What PPE Prevents
Personal protective equipment interrupts transmission at the point where organisms could reach the nurse’s hands, clothing, eyes, nose, or mouth.
Personal protective equipment interrupts transmission at the point where organisms could reach the nurse’s hands, clothing, eyes, nose, or mouth. Standard Precautions apply to every patient, because a patient’s infection status may be unknown and blood or body fluids can be infectious even when the patient appears well. Hand hygiene is the foundation. Perform it before patient contact, before an aseptic task, after contact with blood or body fluids, after touching the patient or the patient’s environment, and immediately after removing gloves. Gloves do not make hand hygiene unnecessary. A contaminated glove can carry organisms from a wound to a bedrail, a blood pressure cuff, or the nurse’s face. Choose PPE according to the exposure anticipated during the task. Gloves protect the hands; a gown protects clothing and skin; a mask protects the nose and mouth from droplets or splashes; and eye protection shields the conjunctiva. When blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions other than sweat, non-intact skin, or mucous membranes may be encountered, use the combination of gloves, gown, mask, and eye protection indicated by the exposure and facility policy....