References

Bouchoucha SL, Moore KA. Infection prevention and control: who is the judge, you or the guidelines?. J Infect Prev. 2018; 19:(3)131-137 https://doi.org/10.1177/1757177417738332

Cochrane J. Precepts of infection prevention and control. In: Childs LL, Coles L, Marjoram B. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell; 2009

Department of Health. Health And Social Care Act 2008. Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. 2015. https://tinyurl.com/y2dodawr (accessed 10 July 2019)

Health Protection Scotland. National Infection Prevention and Control Manual. Appendix 6—Best practice—Putting on and removing PPE. 2018. https://tinyurl.com/y6evw5gh (accessed 10 July 2019)

Loveday HP, Wilson JA, Pratt RJ epic3: national evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections in NHS hospitals in England. J Hosp Infect. 2014; 86:S1-70 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0195-6701(13)60012-2

Mitchell R, Roth V, Gravel D Are health care workers protected? An observational study of selection and removal of personal protective equipment in Canadian acute care hospitals. Am J Infect Control. 2013; 41:(3)240-244 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2012.04.332

NHS England. A guide to the FFP3 respirator. 2013. https://tinyurl.com/y2f5ym84 (accessed 10 July 2019)

National Patient Safety Agency. The national specifications for cleanliness in the NHS: guidance on setting and measuring performance outcomes in primary care medical and dental premises (archived). 2010. https://tinyurl.com/y4k5y63z (accessed 10 July 2019)

Nursing and Midwifery Council. The Code: professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. 2018. https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/code (accessed 10 July 2019)

Wilson J, Prieto J, Singleton J, O'Connor V, Lynam S, Loveday H. The misuse and overuse of non-sterile gloves: application of an audit tool to define the problem. J Infect Prev. 2015; 16:(1)24-31 https://doi.org/10.1177/1757177414558673

When to wear personal protective equipment to prevent infection

08 August 2019
Clinical
02 August 2019
Volume 28 · Issue 15

Compliance with the standard principles of infection prevention and control (IPC) is the keystone of best evidence-based practice. All those who work in health and social care environments have responsibility for IPC and must follow a code of practice (Department of Health, 2015).

Standard IPC precautions must be applied by healthcare practitioners for all patient care activities, regardless of known or suspected infection status (Loveday et al, 2014). According to Bouchoucha and Moore (2018), poor compliance can become ‘generalised’, putting staff and patients at increased risk of infection. As nurses, you can only safeguard against risks if you know what those risks are (Cochrane, 2009).

The use of gloves, disposable aprons, facemasks and eye protection are the constituents of personal protective equipment (PPE). Using PPE is one of the standard IPC precautions and reduces the risk of acquiring contamination from potentially infectious body fluids and transmitting microorganisms via hands or clothing (Loveday et al, 2014; Wilson et al, 2015).

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