Asepsis Flashcards
an infection acquired in a healthcare setting in a previously uninfected patient.
Healthcare-associated infection (HAI)
a microorganism capable of causing a disease
Pathogen
the absence of disease-causing organisms.
Asepsis
the effort to keep the patient as free from microorganisms as possible.
Aseptic technique
inhibits growth and spread of pathogenic organisms; in contrast to surgical asepsis which destroys all organisms and their spores.
Medical asepsis
medical asepsis is also called the
clean technique
the best way for health care workers to break that chain of infection that mode of transmission
Hand Hygiene
Some germs that alcohol can’t kill, which means you need to use soap and water- these germs are anything that has
a spore
washing hand with warm water and soaps/cleansers that contain an antiseptic agent that kills bacteria and some viruses
Antiseptic hand wash
this means you apply an antiseptic hand-rub product to all surfaces of your hands to reduce the number of microorganisms present
Antiseptic hand rub
Always wash hands with soap and water if exposed to spore-forming organisms such as
C. difficile, Bacillus anthracis, or Norovirus
is defined as the softening of skin as part of the process of skin tissue breaking down.
Maceration
Wash hands with nonantimicrobial soap or antimicrobial soap and water when hands are
visibly soiled or contaminated with blood or body fluids.
Use alcohol-based hand rub to perform hand hygiene when hands are
not visibly soiled or contaminated with blood or body fluids.
Used whenever the patient is known to have certain types of infections.
Isolation Precautions
used for: Patients infected with Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDRO’s)
Contact Precautions
Multidrug-Resistant Organisms
include
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE)
are organisms somewhat impervious to multiple antibiotics.
Multidrug-Resistant Organisms
used to remember airborne diseases:
On AIR with MTV
Airborne
Measles, TB, Varicella(shingles, chicken pox)
used to remember Droplet diseases:
PIMP my ride, DROP the suspension
Droplet diseases
Pertussis, Influenza, Meningitis, Pneumonia
are microscopic particles that are the dried residue of evaporated droplets that are produced when a person coughs, sneezes, or shouts.
Droplet nuclei
pathogens remain in the air a long time because of their lightweight and can be transmitted further than three feet from their source.
Airborne
CDC requires that patients with airborne infections be cared for in an
airborne infection isolation room
with a negative-pressure airflow (lower pressure than in the adjoining corridor; so that the flow of air is into the room rather than out of it)
Private room
For patients who have compromised immune systems, which makes them susceptible to infections caused by sources that wouldn’t infect people with a normally functioning immune system.
Protective Environment
are usually forbidden in Protective Environment, as they are highly colonized with bacteria.
Flowers and plants
Procedures designed to TOTALLY ELIMINATE microorganisms from an area.
Surgical Asepsis
Surgical Asepsis also called
Sterile Technique
an object that becomes clean is considered contaminated whenever an object is suspected of harboring disease-causing organisms.
medical asepsis
medical asepsis is also called
clean technique
When opening the outer packaging of a sterile object:
-Place it in the center of the table
-Open the top flap away from you
-Touch only the outside of the wrapper
-Open the side flaps
-Then open the 4th flap toward you; making sure it does not touch your uniform.
If this touches any unsterile article it is contaminated.
inner surface
The edges of a sterile field are considered contaminated. By convention, we usually consider “the edges” to be a __________ around the perimeter of the sterile field.
one-inch border
Order to safetly remove PPE
- Gloves 2. Goggles or face shield (remove from the back) 3. Gown (turn inside out) 4. Mask 5. wash hands
5 moments of hand hygiene-
- Moment 1 - Before touching a patient.
- Moment 2 - Before a procedure.
- Moment 3 - After a procedure or body fluid exposure risk.
- Moment 4 - After touching a patient.
- Moment 5 - After touching a patient’s surroundings
a pathogen, such as a bacterium or a virus that can cause a disease
Infectious agent
site or source of microorganism growth
Reservoir
means by which microorganisms leave a site
Portal of Exit
means of spread
Mode of Transmission
site through which microorganisms enter a host
Portal of Entry
