A10- Infection control Flashcards
What is the aseptic technique?
A set of practices that protects patients from healthcare-associated infections and protects healthcare workers from contact with blood, body fluid and body tissue. This includes using alcohol to sterilize the skin, to full surgical asepsis, which involves the use of sterile gowns, gloves, and masks.
What is the process of disease transmission?
• Infectious agent
• Reservoir
• Portal of exit
• Mode of transmission
• Portal of entry
• Susceptible host
These links need to be broken in order to prevent infection.
What is an infectious agent?
A microorganisms with the potential to make you ill.
What is a reservoir?
Where germs can live and grow.
What is a portal of exit?
How germs get out of an infected person.
What is a mode of transmission?
How germs spread to another person.
What is a portal of entry?
How germs make their way into a person.
What is a susceptible host?
A person at risk of infection.
What is cross infection?
When germs are transferred from one person to another.
How do you prevent cross infection?
• PPE to protect against splashes and wound contact.
• Clean environment.
What is C-diff?
‘Clostridium difficile’ is a type of bacteria that can cause inflammation of the colon, leading to diarrhoea.
How do you treat c-diff?
With antibiotics like metronidazole and vancomycin.
How is c-diff caused?
This is caused by the overuse of antibiotics, as they will disrupt the balance of gut bacteria, causing c-diff bacteria to grow. It is also spread through spores.
Who is most at risk of developing c-diff?
• Those who have recently taken antibiotics.
• Those who have recently been hospitalised.
• Older people.
• Those with a weakened immune system.
What are the routes of transmission?
• Contact
• Droplets
• Airborne
• Common vehicle
• Vector borne
• Food
• Water
• Fluids
• Vertical
What are some physical barriers to disease?
• Skin
• Cillia
• Mucus
• Enzymes
What can you do to prevent and control infection?
• Follow policy and SOPS like COSHH & RIDDOR.
• Maintain your knowledge and skill.
• Inform visitors of guidelines.
• Follow codes of practice.
What are the 3 ways to prevent cross infection?
• Sterilisation
• Disinfectant
• Decontamination
What is detergent?
A cleansing agent that increases waters ability to break down contaminants.
What is disinfectant?
A substance used to reduce blood he number of microorganisms in surfaces to a level that is considered safe, but which may not necessarily destroy some viruses or bacterial spores.
What does aseptic mean?
It means free from contamination of harmful microorganisms.
What are some diseases reportable under RIDDOR?
• smallpox
• measles
• plague
• typhoid
• anthrax
• diphtheria
• food poisoning
• scarlet fever
• tuberculosis
• viral hepatitis
• tetanus
• meningitis
• mumps
• whooping cough
What is decontamination?
A process or combination of processes like cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising that removes or destroys contaminants so that infectious agents can’t cause infection.
What are types of decontamination?
• Physical- Heat or radiation used to remove microorganisms (autoclave, boil and pasteurisation).
• Chemical- Use of chemicals to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms (disinfectants and sterilants).
• Biological- Use of living organisms or their products to eliminate the growth of microorganisms (bacteriophages).
What is sterilisation?
To kill all microbes and their spores, whether harmful or not, present on a surface or object.
This is done using steam machines (autoclaves) which use 122°-134° steam.
Direct heat can be used like incineration, boiling in water and dry heat.
What are types of sterilisation?
Autoclaving medical instruments and devices.