Integrated Maternal and Newborn Care Basic Skills Course ...

Reference Manual
Gowns and waterproof aprons protect clients against micro-organisms and protect the
provider’s skin and clothes from contact with blood and other fluids.
• Always wear a clean, preferably sterile gown during delivery.
• If the gown has long sleeves, place gloves over the gown sleeve to avoid contaminating
the gloves.
• Ensure that gloved hands are held high above the level of the waist and do not come
into contact with the gown.
Masks protect clients against micro-organisms expelled during talking, coughing, and
breathing, provided they are worn and used correctly, covering the mouth and nose.
They also protect the provider’s nose and mouth from splashes of blood and other fluids.
Caps protect clients against micro-organisms in hair and skin shed from the provider's
head. No protection has been documented for providers.
Eye covers/face shields protect the provider’s eyes from splashes of blood and other
fluids. No protection has been documented for clients.
Changing slippers at entry into the delivery room prevents bringing in the dirt from
outside.
Treatment of Soiled Linen
Correct handling of linen prevents the spread of infections to hospital personnel who transport,
sort, and clean the linen. It also prevents accidental injuries to hospital personnel who transport,
sort, and clean the linen. Linen for delivery rooms, surgery, and neonatal units should be
sterilized.
The materials required to treat soiled linen include:
• utility gloves
• heavy duty plastic bags or buckets with covers
• detergent
• water
• a washing machine (ideal and far better than washing by hand)
No additional precautions (e.g., pre-rinsing, labelling, separating, or double bagging) are
necessary, regardless of the patient diagnosis, if standard precautions are used in all situations.
The guidelines for treating soiled linen are as follows:
• Housekeeping and laundry personnel should wear gloves and other personal protective
equipment as indicated when collecting, handling, transporting, sorting, and washing
soiled linen.
• When collecting and transporting soiled linen, handle it as little as possible and with
minimum contact to avoid accidental injury and spreading of micro-organisms.
• Consider all cloth items (e.g., surgical drapes, gowns, wrappers) used during a
procedure as infectious; even if there is no visible contamination, the item must be
laundered.
Integrated maternal and newborn care
Basic skills course
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