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Laboratory

Introduction

Date of Last Review 9/5/08
SME: Infection Control Manager


This topic provides prevention information for laboratory employees.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

This table lists the PPE requirements and recommendations for laboratory employees:

PPE

Requirement/Recommendation

Masks and protective eye-wear

Required when employee anticipates mucous-membrane contact with blood or body fluids

Gloves

Wear gloves when

Collecting specimens

Processing specimens

Change gloves and wash hands:

Between each patient

After moving from a contaminated body site on the same patient

After processing each specimen

Note: Protective gloves do not replace hand-washing

Primary containment devices
Example: Centrifuge safety cups

Suggested when conducting procedures that have a high potential for creating aerosols or infectious droplets

Example: Centrifuging

Working with specimens

This table provides prevention information for laboratory employees working with specimens of blood and body fluids:

Task

Description

Collecting

Wear gloves

Change gloves and wash hands between each patient

Use safety engineered needle adapters or safety engineered butterfly-type needles to draw blood
Special circumstances: Use needle and syringe under special circumstances only

Take care when collecting each specimen
Reason: To avoid contaminating the following:

Outside of the container

Laboratory form

Storing and transporting

Store all specimens in well constructed containers with secure lids
Reason: To prevent leaks during transport.

Place refrigerated specimen in a plastic bag inside a cooler with ice packs to transport to the appropriate laboratory via courier

Processing

All specimens are sent to a contract lab. No processing is done at UTHCPC.

Pipetting

No pipetting is done at UTHCPC.

Waste disposal

This table lists disposal requirements:

Reference: See Section D Prevention: Waste Disposal in this chapter.

Item

Disposal

Safety engineered needle adapters

Safety engineered butterfly-type needles

Put it in the red, rigid sharps disposal container on the unit

Infectious waste and/or contaminated materials

Double-bag with a red outer bag

Disinfection

This table provides disinfection information:

Area

Disinfect with...

When...

Hands

Soap and water

Reference: See Handwashing

Between patients

After processing each specimen

After completing laboratory activities

Note: Protective gloves do not replace hand-washing

Laboratory work surfaces

Approved disinfectant

After:

A blood or other body fluid spill

After completing work activities

Equipment

Approved disinfectant

After a blood or body fluid spill

Before:

In-house repair work

Transportation to the manufacturer for repair work

Related standards

The Joint Commission : Surveillance, Prevention, and Control of Infection

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Harris County Psychiatric Center University of Texas Health Science Center