Chapter 4 Safety and Infection Control 119 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. In a hospital, the Central Services Department handles sterilization pro- cedures. Autoclaves are widely used in doctors’ offi ces, but many supplies used in patient care are prepackaged and sterilized by the manufacturer and are disposable. As a result, the use of an autoclave has declined somewhat in the healthcare facility. Preventing the Spread of Bloodborne Pathogens To avoid exposure to potentially harmful substances, employees must strictly follow instructions stated by the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. This standard went into effect in the United States in 1992. It was designed to reduce the risk of transmitting bloodborne pathogens within the healthcare facility. Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms found in human blood that can cause disease in humans. Examples of these pathogens include, but are not limited to, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and human immunodefi ciency virus (HIV). The rules set forth by the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard apply to all patients receiving care in any healthcare facility, regardless of their diagnosis or infection status. The standard lists potentially infectious materials (PIM), which include a range of body fl uids. To protect themselves and their patients, healthcare workers should always proceed as if these body fl uids are infectious. Several body fl uids have the potential to transmit harmful pathogens: • human blood and its components (plasma, serum, platelets, and immunoglobulin) • semen and vaginal secretions • body fl uids such as cerebrospinal, synovial (joint), pleural (lung), pericardial (heart), peritoneal (abdominal cavity), and amniotic (surrounding unborn baby) fl uids • body fl uids visibly contaminated with blood or other unidentifi ed substances (such as saliva in dental procedures) • human tissue such as tissue removed during a biopsy (procedure to obtain tissue for examination and diagnosis) • any bodily substance from a patient known to be infected with HIV In addition to practicing good hand hygiene and cleaning contaminated surfaces, employees must dispose of all potentially infected materials in a biohazard receptacle. Gloves are not always worn when giving patient care, but they must be worn when there is the possibility of an employee being exposed to blood and body fl uids. Healthcare workers must always wash their hands before putting on gloves and again after removing their gloves between patients. Used gloves that are visibly contaminated with blood or other body fl uids must be disposed of in a biohazard receptacle. OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard guidelines developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that list potentially infectious materials and mandate all healthcare workers to proceed at all times as if the materials are infectious bloodborne pathogens infectious microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease potentially infectious materials (PIM) substances designated by OSHA that require healthcare workers to proceed as if they are infectious biopsy a piece of tissue removed from the body for examination the process of removing tissue for examination