A10 Flashcards
Infection
The process of any microorganisms invading the body, making someone ill
Normal flora
Microorganisms that live on another organism that will not cause a disease
Pathogen
Microorganisms such as bacteria, virus, fungi that can cause disease
Techniques for infection control
-PPE
-Effective hand washing techniques
-Use of cleaning and disinfecting agents
-Good personal hygiene
-Safe disposal of sharps
When to wear disposable gloves
-risk of being in contact with bodily fluids
-contact with an open wound/cut
-handling harmful substances
-contact with patients eyes, nose, ears, lips, mouth or genital area
When to wear aprons
-carrying out cleaning and tidying tasks
-performing/helping the patient with personal hygiene tasks
-performing/assisting in a procedure that might involve splashing of bodily fluids
How to practice good personal hygiene
-washing body and hair regularly
-wearing clean uniform
-cleaning teeth
-covering mouth and nose when coughing/sneezing
-maintaining short, neat and clean nails
Washing hair and body
-prevent build up of dirt and sweat
-skin left unwashed results in an obvious smell
-dirty hair can spread infection
Wearing clean uniform
Cleaning teeth
-prevent bad breath
-brush teeth twice a day
-visit dentist every 6 months
Maintaining short, neat and clean nails
-dirt and bacteria can get trapped under long nails
-long nails contribute to the spread of illness and infection
-long nails damage gloves
Covering mouth when sneezing/coughing
-reduce the spread of germs
-wash hands after covering mouth
What comes first cleaning or disinfecting
Cleaning must be carries out before disinfecting
What does cleaning remove
It removes contamination (blood, faeces, vomit)
Detergent
Purifying or c,sending agent which increased the ability of water to break down grease or dirt
Disinfectant
A substance that destroys inactivates or significantly reduced concentration of pathogens
Aseptic
Free from contamination caused by harmful microorganisms surgically sterile or sterilised
When healthcare workers clean or disinfect they must be sure to
-follow manufacturers instructions for dilution
-never just guess how much to dilute a disinfectant
-wear PPE
-ensure adequate ventilation
-never use two disinfectants together
-don’t add anything to a disinfectant
-discard disinfectant solution after use
-not ‘top up’ solutions of disinfectant with anything but dispose of any unused solution
When to hand wash
-before patient contact
-before a clean procedure
-after bodily fluid exposure risk
-after patient contact
-after contact with patient surroundings
Why should you tie long hair back
-contains bacteria which can cause infection
-get in the way of many tasks i.e cleaning up a patient or serving food
Sharps bin with yellow lid
Sharps and syringe bodies with residual medicinal product
Yellow waste bags
Highly infectious waste plus anatomical waste from theatres and diagnostic specimens
Blue clinical waste bin
Waste medicines, out of date medicines, medicine liquids in bottles, blister packs of pills
Orange plastic bags
General infectious waste, soloed dressings and autoclaved laboratory waste
Sharps bin with orange lid
Sharps not contaminated with medicinal products
Yellow and black striped bags
Offensive/hygiene waste which is not infectious
Black plastic bags
General waste such as packaging, plastic containers, tissues, flowers, sand which wrappers