What are standard precautions and when are they used?

Standard precautions are infection control practices applied to all patients regardless of diagnosis or presumed infection status. They include hand hygiene before and after patient contact, use of personal protective equipment when contact with blood or body fluids is anticipated, safe injection practices, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, safe handling of contaminated equipment and surfaces, and proper sharps disposal. Standard precautions treat all blood, body fluids except sweat, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes as potentially infectious.