Standard Precautions vs. Universal Precautions?

[hbgwan]

Can someone please tell me what the difference between these two is? In my foundations of nursing textbook, it says "up are techniques to be used with all clients to decrease the risk of transmitting unidentified pathogens." then for sp, it goes on to say "these are precautions used in the care of all hospitalized persons regardless of their diagnosis or possible infection status."

I take it that up means gloving up/gowning up/masking up whenever anybody fluids may be encountered, regardless of the pt's isolation status but isn't that what sp is?

Thanks,

hbgwan

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

This thread is over a year old but it is great to revisit such an important aspect of nursing practice.

[Lambvmd3, ASN, LPN, RN]

I was reading about this this morning, and came across this OSHA page:

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/hazards/univprec/univ.html

Toward the bottom, it reads:

• For compliance with OSHA Standards, the use of either Universal Precautions or Standard Precautions are acceptable.
  

[zambiahealth, LPN, LVN]

Hi! I'm sure by now you've got your answer, but today's my first day joining so I'll "try" to give an answer (it might be wrong)

1) Through literature, I "thought both "universal" precautions and "standard" precautions/ "transmission based precautions were started by the CDC. Universal precautions were the "first" ("1985"). It was a response to the HIV outbreak/ epidemic beginning in the 1980s. The famous trademark started here "consider everyone infectious" thus, "universal" precautions. Whether you know the client's diagnosis or not, assume everyone is infectious. Later, in 1996 the CDC upgraded the "universal" precautions to "standard" precautions/ "transmission based precautions". To my understanding, "standard" precautions are basically the same as "universal precautions, and also considering everyone to be infectious regardless of known disease status. The big difference is the "added" so-called "transmission based precautions" which were added to the standard precautions. "transmission based precautions" are additional steps you must take in addition to the standard precautions if you know the disease status of the client or highly suspect the disease status of a client, then you will apply the additional transmission-based precautions, which are designed to contain potentially highly contagious diseases in the health environment so that other patients or staff do not come into risk of becoming infected. This would include the use of isolation, barriers and other precautions associated with airborne, droplet or contact transmission of an infectious disease. (if the person does not have t.b., there is no reason to keep the windows open and wear a face mask... etc.)