How should blood and bodily fluids be treated according to standard precautions?

Blood and bodily fluids should be treated as potentially infectious because standard precautions are designed to minimize the risk of transmission of pathogens from both recognized and unrecognized sources. This approach is essential because it helps ensure the safety of healthcare workers and patients by treating all blood and bodily fluids as if they could transmit infections. Such an attitude fosters a consistent practice of infection control, reducing the likelihood of exposure to harmful microorganisms that may be present, regardless of whether there are visible contaminants or a known disease.

In contrast, treating blood and bodily fluids as safe and non-infectious could lead to neglecting necessary safety measures, thereby increasing the risk of infection transmission. Limiting precautions only to situations where visible contaminants are present overlooks the reality that pathogens can exist without visible signs. Additionally, focusing only on specific diseases ignores the spectrum of potential risks from various infections, which standard precautions aim to mitigate across all patient interactions.