7.1 Healthcare Infections

Question 1

What are healthcare infections

Answer 1

Infections arising as a consequence of providing healthcare

Question 2

In what kind of in hospital patients are considered to have healthcare infections

Answer 2

-neither present nor incubating at time of admission
-onset is at least 48hrs after admission

Question 3

Why are healthcare infections important

Answer 3

Frequency
Impact on health (e.g.UTI, pneumonia, surgical wound infections)
Impact on healthcare organisation (financial cost)
Preventable

Question 4

Use the infection model for understanding pathogen &patients factors leading to healthcare infections

Question 5

Examples of healthcare infection VIRUSES

Answer 5

Blood borne viruses (hepatitis B,C,HIV)
Norovirus
Influenza
Chickenpox

Question 6

Examples of healthcare infection BACTERIA

Answer 6

Staph aureus (MRSA)
Clostridium difficile
Escherichia coil, Klebsiella pneumoniae
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Question 7

Examples of healthcare infection FUNGI

Answer 7

Candida albicans
Aspergillus species

Question 8

Examples of healthcare infection PARASITES

Answer 8

(Malaria) caused by
Plasmodium falciparum

Question 9

Patients factors leading to healthcare infections

Answer 9

Extremes of age
Obesity/malnourished
Cancer
Immunosuppression
Smoker
Surgical patient
Emergency admission

Question 10

4Ps of infection prevention

Answer 10

Pathogen:
-virulence factors, ecological interactions (bacteria, antibiotics/disinfectants)

Patient:
-general&specific patient risk factors

Place:
-interactions with other people in hospital

Practice:
-General&specific activities of healthcare workers
-policies &implementation
-Organisation structure
-regional&national political initiatives
-leadership (from gov. to ward)

Question 11

What are the general patient interventions

Answer 11

-Optimise patient’s condition
(Smoking, nutrition, diabetes)

-Antimicrobial prophylaxis
-Skin preparation
-Hand hygiene

Question 12

Specific patients interventions

Answer 12

MRSA screens
Mupirocin nasal ointment
Disinfectant body wash

Question 13

How is patient to patient transmission halted

Answer 13

Physical barriers
-isolation of infected patients
-protection of susceptible patients

Question 14

Healthcare worker interventions

Answer 14

-Vaccination
-Good clinical techniques
-Hand hygiene
-Antimicrobial prescribing

Question 15

Environmental interventions

Answer 15

-Built env.
(Toilets, wash hand basins)
-Furniture
-Cleaning
(Steam cleaning, hydrogen peroxide vapour, disinfectants)
-Medical devices
(Single use equipment, sterilisation, decontamination)
-Food hygiene practice
-Theatres
-Positive/negative pressure rooms

Question 16

I-five patients

Answer 16

Identify
(Abroad, blood borne infections, colonised, diarrhoea, expectorating, funny looking rash)

Isolate
Investigate
Inform
Initiate