What event in 1985 prompted the establishment of Universal Precautions?

The establishment of Universal Precautions in 1985 was primarily prompted by the HIV/AIDS public health crisis. During this period, there was a growing awareness of how HIV could be transmitted through exposure to blood and certain body fluids. As healthcare providers faced increasing risks of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens, guidelines were needed to protect both patients and practitioners. Universal Precautions provided a set of protocols aimed at preventing transmission of HIV and other bloodborne infections by treating all blood and certain bodily fluids as potentially infectious. This approach shifted the paradigm in healthcare settings, emphasizing the necessity of using protective measures consistently, regardless of a patient's known infection status.

While other events, such as the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the outbreak of hepatitis C, and the spread of tuberculosis, are important in their own rights concerning public health, they did not directly lead to the establishment of the Universal Precautions framework as the HIV/AIDS crisis did. Thus, the focus of Universal Precautions was specifically shaped by the urgent need to address HIV transmission and safeguard both patient and provider health in medical and esthetic practices.