Approaches to Infection Control Flashcards
Tiny animals or plants that can cause a disease.
Microorganisms
They usually proliferate in dark, warm and moist environments.
Microorganisms
5 Elements of Infection Cycle
- Reservoir
- Exit
- Transmission
- Infection
- Susception
A place where they can grow and reproduce.
Reservoir
Person with infection.
Host
Portals or points where they can leave the host. (draining wound)
Exit
Models on how they can be spread. (droplet – exudate from wound)
Transmission
Portals where they can enter a host and cause a disease. (open wound)
Infection
It refers to hosts that cannot repel or destroy microorganisms that have entered in their system. (infection develops new host)
Susception
ASEPTIC TECHNIQUES
- Medical Asepsis
- Surgical Asepsis
Practices that help reduce the number and spread of microorganisms.
Medical Asepsis
What type of technique is this?
Isolation of object or person
Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Medical Asepsis
Practices that render and keep objects and areas free of all microorganisms.
Surgical Asepsis
What type of technique is this?
Sterilization or Disinfection of instruments (autoclave/steam under pressure, ethylene oxide gas)
Surgical Asepsis
Designed to protect health care workers and patients regardless of their diagnosis or infection status. (Best means to control infection)
Standard Precautions
Designed to protect the caregiver from specialized patients with highly transmissible pathogens.
Transmission-Based Precautions
It synthesized the significant components associated with universal precautions and apply to all bodily fluids, secretions, and excretions of any patient.
Standard Precaution
Barriers: For touching blood, secretions, excretions except sweat
Gloves
Barriers: During patient care activities and procedures when contact of body fluids is anticipated.
Protective Clothing
Barriers: During procedures likely to generate splashes of body fluids.
Mask, goggles or face shield
Barriers: To prevent contact with oral secretions.
Mouthpiece/resuscitation bag & other ventilation device
- Immediately after glove removal, or after touching body fluids
- Avoid outer surface of gloves when they are removed
Hand Hygiene
Do not bend, break, recap nor hand-manipulate used needles
Sharp Materials
- Use safety features when available and use on-handed scoop technique only
- Do not uncap or expose needles until they are needed
- Use caution when handling them to avoid wounding yourself
Needle/Scalpel
Handle in a manner that prevents the transfer of microorganisms to others and to the environment.
Soiled Equipment
Contain the source of respiratory secretions from the initial point of encounter
Respiratory Hygiene
- Used to prevent transmission of infectious agents that are spread by direct or indirect contact with
the patient or environment - Used in addition with standard precaution when a patient is in isolation
- Room: private or cohort, preferably > 3 feet between beds
- Patient care items should remain in the room
Contact
- Used to prevent transmission of pathogens spread through mucous membranes
- Mask: required when working in close contact with patient
- Room: private
- Transport: place a surgical mask on the patient if possible
Droplet
- Used to prevent transmission of infectious agents that remain infectious over long distances
when suspended in the air - Mask: an N-95 respirator or higher level must be worn
- Room: private, airborne infection isolation room; doors must remain closed
- Transport: place a surgical mask on the patient if possible
Airborne
These are transferred directly from one infected person to another or indirectly when the transfer of an infectious agent is through an object, medical equipment, furniture surface, or person.
Contact Precaution
- Microorganisms are transferred by small infectious particles (infective over time and distance) in the respirable size range.
- Airborne transmission can occur with measles, varicella (chicken pox), and mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Airborne Precaution
- Microorganisms are transferred by direct or indirect contact. Still, in contrast, to contact transmission, respiratory droplets carrying infectious pathogens transmit infection when they trace a short distance directly from the respiratory tract of the infected individual to the mouth, conjunctivae, or nasal mucosa of the recipient.
- Some diseases or conditions spread through droplet transmission are strep throat, meningitis, pneumonia, influenza, the common cold (pertussis), whooping cough, smallpox, and mumps.
Droplet Precaution
Most important
Most effective
Reduces the spread of infection
significantly
It is advised to make it a habit
Hand Hygiene
PRIMARY METHODS OF HAND HYGIENE
Hand Rubbing
Hand Washing
Using an alcohol-based waterless antiseptic technique
Alcohol 60 – 95% and skin conditioner 1 – 3%
Most effective decontamination technique when hand washing is not required
Hand Rubbing
Bar soaps are not used in the hospital
Using knee- or foot-operated controls or automatic
dispensers
Hand Washing
A form of surgical asepsis
designed to keep an area free from pathogens
Designed to maintain the sterility of objects contained within the
field
This may affect the healing process and possibly the patient’s life
THE STERILE FIELD
(4) Rules of Asepsis: The Sterile Field
1) Know which items are sterile.
2) Know which items are not sterile.
3) Separate sterile items from non-sterile items.
4) If a sterile item becomes contaminated, remedy the situation immediately.
Donning PPE (Putting On)
- Perform Hand Hygiene
- Put on shoe covers (if applicable)
- Put on gown
- Put on mask/respirator (if applicable)
- Put on eye protection
- Put on Gloves
Doffing PPE (Taking Off)
- Remove Shoe Covers
- Remove the Gown and Gloves Together
- Perform Hand Hygiene
- Remove Eye Protection
- Remove the Mask/Respirator
- Perform Hand Hygiene
It is used to reduce the possibility of glove contamination when the gloves are being applied. The exterior surface of the gloves is protected from contact with sources of contamination when this technique is performed properly
Closed-Glove Technique for Asepsis
- It can be used in the same situation as closed glove method
- Has greater potential for glove contamination than the closed-glove technique unless you use extreme caution when you apply the gloves.
Open-Glove Technique for Asepsis
