[Elementary precautions: past the principles]

Universal precautions assure maximum protection to patients, workers, and visitors in a health care institution. While establishing universal precautions is a laudable goal, the application is onerous and difficult if the administration is not convinced of the necessity of such a project. At Sainte Justine Hospital in Montreal, the administration has rallied around this project. A vast program of consultation was initiated in January 1988. Simultaneously, a team of physicians and nurses proceeded to revise standards of sterilization and disinfectation in the hospital. In the fall of 1988, a multidisciplinary team produced a document, Universal Precautions. The term used in French--elementary precautions--was developed to demonstrate the need to have these precautions in place at all times throughout the institution. A pilot project was initiated on the perinatal unit to assess the new standards. Results are very positive. The guidelines worked and people appreciated the diverse measures of protection available to them. A full description of the pilot project is given along with the operating budget.