QUARTERLY BEAT
JULY 2026
QUESTION 3: WHAT IF I'M WRONG?
This is where most infection control programs succeed or fail, not because these steps are complicated, but because they are easy to skip. Standard precautions are what protect you in the cases you do not recognize. They are the default when certainty is not available, which is most of the time.
This is the question we skip most often, and it is the most important one. Standard precautions exist because we cannot reliably identify every infectious risk in every scenario. The apparently healthy shelter kitten? Shedding Microsporum canis. The bouncy puppy with normal vitals? PCR-positive for Leptospira . The cat boarding for the weekend? MRSA carrier. "What if I'm wrong?" is not paranoia. It is preventative medicine. Over time, this mindset becomes habit, a quick mental check before each interaction.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: ONE ROUTINE VISIT, MULTIPLE POINTS OF FAILURE
The Case: A 2-year-old Labrador Retriever presents for acute vomiting and lethargy. No additional history is collected at intake. During check-in, the dog urinates on the reception floor. A technician lifts him onto the scale and gets urine on the front of her scrubs, places him in an exam room, then returns to clean the area using a mop bucket from the morning cleaning. During the exam, the dog becomes increasingly stressed and difficult to restrain. As the technician attempts a blood draw, her hands are full and she uncaps the needle with her teeth. After a near-bite, the veterinarian requests sedation. The patient is moved to the procedure area, where his barking triggers a chain reaction of noise among other hospitalized animals. By this point, the technician is in the tenth hour of an understaffed shift. She strains her back during restraint and does not report the near-bite incident. She later runs to the break room for a quick snack without washing her hands.
STANDARD PRECAUTIONS: THE NON-NEGOTIABLE BASELINE
Standard precautions exist for a simple reason: we are often wrong about risk. These practices are outlined in the NASPHV Compendium of Veterinary Standard Precautions and reinforced by the AAHA Infection Control, Prevention, and Biosecurity Guidelines, and they form the foundation of infection prevention in veterinary settings. They are a set of core practices designed to reduce risk that apply to every patient, every time, regardless of what you think is going on. They are not "extra." They are the baseline. The floor, not the ceiling.
The Diagnosis: Leptospirosis
Breaking Down the Risks: This case probably does not sound unusual, and that is exactly the point. A single routine visit now involves biological, physical, chemical, ergonomic, psychosocial, sharps, noise, and oral hazards. None of these risks occurred in isolation. They compounded. Remember our chain of transmission? There were multiple opportunities to break that chain in this scenario. A more complete history might have revealed that this patient spent the previous weekend at a family cabin with access to natural water sources and wildlife exposure. Using a disposable material instead of a shared mop during urine cleanup would have reduced fomite exposure. Safer sharps handling and earlier sedation would have reduced physical risk. Hand hygiene before eating would have removed another potential route of exposure. Even something as simple as a disinfectant with a clearly defined concentration and contact time could have reduced uncertainty in the moment.
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VETGIRL BEAT EMAGAZINE 15
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