Saturday, January 21, 2012

SP vs. BSI

I got into an argument today with a medic on an internet board (I know, I know ........ you don't have to say it) regarding the terms SP vs. BSI. She was insistent, and I mean name calling, snarling, spitting, vulgarity insistent that we MUST! MUST! MUST! use the term BSI for Body Substance Isolation and that the term SP (standard precautions) went out with the dinosaurs and RN's are incompetent killers if they continue to use the term SP.

So minus all the emotional rhetoric, what say you guys? I had never been exposed to the term BSI (at least in any way that stuck into my brain as being a requirement for use). We've used SP forevah! Go SP!

I looked up the CDC guidelines (from 2007 admittedly, but the BSI were from 1987 so which is more current?) and they can be found here: CDC Guidelines

1987 - BSI outdated

1996 - standard precautions into favor.

WTF am I missing here? Is this just a medic vs. RN thing? Is it an unstable mental person (her or me? Who knows!) argument on the interwebz?

The term truly doesn't matter, I know it's the idea of providing barrier protection between potential infectious agents for pt/care provider.

But damnit, I wanna know what you all think! So lay it on me.

8 comments:

Damaris said...

I have NEVER heard BSI.

Kristi said...

"If it's wet and it's not yours, don't touch it."

Why does it matter that much WHAT you call it, the principle is the same, right?

I can't understand the rabid argument myself. You go right ahead and call it what you want, as long as you take your precautions! :)

Julie said...

Kristi - I know, I know. I don't understand why I argued it either. Apparently something got under my skin that day. I think it was more the attitude from my debate partner than anything else. Alas......... such is life.

Anonymous said...

As my current instructor says, "If it is wet, sticky, or yucky" put the gloves on. My textbook said "Standard Precautions" and "Transmission based Precautions". No BSI mentioned at all...

PS LOVE the blog!

jgelske said...

I'm just an EMT-Basic and the only term I have ever heard was BSI.

Not that I'm trying to argue it.

Confused Medic said...

BSI is the concept that there are nasty things out there that you don't want to touch, inhale, roll around in (Hepb, HIV, MRSA, VRE, etc). SP or the updated UP (universal precautions) are the barriers we use to avoid the nasties (gloves gowns, shields).

Confused Medic said...

BSI is the idea that the nasties are out there. SP or universas precautions are the tools we use to avoid them

Anonymous said...

At the Canadian paramedic college I work for we teach the term PPE, Personal Protective Equipment. This could include hard hats or be as simple as gloves. Students from different backgrounds use different terms and our instructors point out the differences. I can't believe someone would be so up in arms over something that can be so vared regionally. I can imagine her attacking a colleague in the UK for referring to acetaminophen as APAP.