Questions: What is the primary tool for protecting healthcare workers from exposure to bloodborne pathogens? Pre-employment immunizations Prophylactic drugs Ongoing competency verification Standard precautions
Transcript text: What is the primary tool for protecting healthcare workers from exposure to bloodborne pathogens?
Pre-employment immunizations
Prophylactic drugs
Ongoing competency verification
Standard precautions
Solution
The answer is: Standard precautions.
Explanation for each option:
Pre-employment immunizations: While immunizations can protect healthcare workers from certain diseases, they are not the primary tool for protecting against all bloodborne pathogens.
Prophylactic drugs: These can be used after potential exposure to reduce the risk of infection, but they are not the primary preventive measure.
Ongoing competency verification: Ensuring that healthcare workers are competent is important, but it does not directly protect them from exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
Standard precautions: These are a set of infection control practices used to prevent transmission of diseases that can be acquired by contact with blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes. They include hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and proper handling of sharps and waste.
IDON'T KNOW YET: This is not a valid answer.
Summary:
The primary tool for protecting healthcare workers from exposure to bloodborne pathogens is standard precautions. These precautions are designed to reduce the risk of transmission of bloodborne and other pathogens in healthcare settings.