Follow accepted infection prevention and control protocols. Observe special measures and sterile techniques as appropriate. Identify patients at risk for infection, such as immunocompromised patients. Initiate strict respiratory and contact isolation as necessary. Quality assurance requires proper collection, transport, and receipt of specimens and use of properly cleaned and prepared instruments and equipment. Refer to Appendix A for additional information on standard precautions for safe practice, infection control, isolation, quarantine surveillance, and reporting. The term standard precautions refers to a system of disease control that presupposes that each direct contact with body fluids or tissues is potentially infectious and that every person exposed to these must protect themselves. Consequently, healthcare providers must be both informed and conscientious about adhering to standard precautions and strict infection control guidelines.

Healthcare providers must be scrupulous about proper hand hygiene. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), proper hand hygiene must be practiced before patient contact and before donning gloves, when inserting catheters or other devices that do not require surgery, and after contact with a patient’s skin, body fluids, or wound dressings and after removing gloves. Proper protective clothing and other devices, or PPE, must be worn as necessary.

Procurement and disposal of specimens according to U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards must be followed. Moreover, institutions may have procedures and policies of their own to ensure compliance (e.g., specimens are to be placed directly into biohazard bags).