Basic Infection Control Flashcards
- Collective vegetation in a given area
- Resident Flora-
Detectable alteration in normal tissue function
Disease
- Severity of disease, degree of communicability
- Virulence-
transmission of infectious agent to individual by direct or
indirect contact or airborne
- Communicable disease-
ability to produce disease
Pathogenicity
-Causes disease only in a susceptible individual.
Opportunistic pathogen
- Freedom from disease-causing microorganisms
- Asepsis
- practices intended to confine a specific microorganism to a specific
area. (clean, Dry)
Medical Asepsis
aka. Sterile technique, practices that keep an area or object free of all
microorganisms.
Surgical Asepsis
- condition in which acute organ dysfunction occurs secondary to infection.
Sepsis
- process by which strains of microorganisms become resident flora.
Colonization
- destroys all pathogenic organisms, except spores.
Disinfection
destroys all microorganisms, including spores.
- Sterilization
The invasion of bodily tissue by pathogenic microorganisms
that grows and proliferate in areas where they are not usually found,
resulting in tissue injury that can progress to disease.
INFECTION
- limited to a specific part of the body
- Local infection-
- spread of microorganisms and damage to different parts
- Systemic infection
Positive culture of microorganisms in the blood
Bacteremia
When bacteremia results in systemic infection
Septicemia
n- generally appear suddenly or last a short time
Acute infection- g
occur slowly over a long period, may last months or years
Chronic infection
Initial infection with an organism to host constitutes primary infection.
- Primary infection
When in a host whose resistance is lowered by pre-existing
infection, a new organism may set up a new infection.
Secondary infection:
infections that originate in the hospital, may affect patients and
healthcare workers.
Nosocomial Infections
: Originates from patients themselves
Endogenous source
Hospital environment
Exogenous source:
The presence of a pathogen does not mean that an infection will begin. In order for infectious
disease to spread, several necessary steps must occur. These steps are known as “_____________”. An infection will develop only if chain remains intact.
chain of infection
- the microorganism (for example bacteria, virus or fungi). Extent
to which an organism is capable of producing an infectious process depends on number,
virulence, potency, ability to enter the body, susceptibility of host, ability to live n host’s
body
- ETIOLOGIC AGENT
- most common infection causing microorganisms
Bacteria
nucleic acid, must enter living cells in order to
reproduce
Viruses
yeast and molds
- Fungi-
live on other living organisms
Parasites
a host which allows the microorganism to live and grow, considered as
the source of microorganisms. May be the body, plants, animals, general environment
RESERVOIR
A person or animal reservoir of a specific
infectious agent, usually does not manifest any clinical signs of
diseas
Carrier
a path for the microorganism to escape from the
host.
PORTAL OF EXIT
- immediate and direct transfer from person to person
Droplet: within 1m (3ft) of each other, e.g. Sneezing, coughing.
Direct Transmission
- vehicle borne or vector borne
Vehicle-borne: Any substance that serves as intermediate means to transport
and introduce an infectious agent into a susceptible host through a suitable
portal of entry. (Fomites-inanimate objects e.g. handkerchief, toys, utensil)
Vector-borne: Animal or flying or crawling insects
Indirect Transmission-
droplets or dust, material is transmitted by air
currents to a suitable portal of entry, usually the respiratory tract, of another
person.
Airborne Transmission
a path for the microorganism to get into a
new host, similar to the portal of exit.
PORTAL OF ENTRY
: a person susceptible to the microorganism
SUSCEPTIBLE HOST
- person at increased risk of
infection.
Compromised Host
Interval b/w the pathogen’s
invasion of the body and the appearance of
symptoms of infection. Organisms grows and
multiplies
Incubation Period:
: Person is most infectious
during this stage. Early signs and symptoms of
disease are present, but these are often vague
and nonspecific (Several hours to days). During
this stage, the patient often does not realize that
he/she is contagious.
. Prodromal Stage
Presence of specific signs and symptoms, the type of infection
determines the length of illness and severity of manifestations. (Local and systemic
symptoms)
Full stage of Infection
Recovery period from infection. May vary according to severity of the
infection and the patient’s general condition.
Convalescent period
are guidelines that were
established to break the chain of infection and reduce
the risk of pathogen transmission in hospitals.
Standard precautions
The number one weapon in preventing the
spread of microorganisms and includes alcohol based hand
Hand hygiene
should be performed before and
after contact with a patient; immediately after
touching blood, body fluids, nonintact skin,
mucous membranes, or contaminated items
(even when gloves are worn during contact); and
immediately after removing gloves.
HAND HYGIENE
includes gloves, gowns, masks, respirators, and eyewear that create barriers to
protect skin, clothing, mucous membranes, and the respiratory tract from infectious
organisms.
✓ The item selected depends on the infectious agent, the type of interaction, and the
method of microorganism transmission.
PPE
Use ________ ______ __________ in addition to
standard precautions when the standard
precautions aren’t enough to protect you from
communicable disease transmission. There are
three types of transmission-based precautions:
contact, droplet, and airborne.
transmission-based precautions
Used in addition to standard precautions when caring for patients
with known or suspected diseases that are spread by direct or
indirect contact.
✓ Contact precautions include gloving and gowning when in contact
with the patient, objects, and surfaces within the patient’s
environment.
✓ All reusable items should be cleaned and disinfected according to
organizational policy, and disposable items should be thrown away
immediately after being used.
Contact precautions
Require the use of a surgical mask in addition to standard
precautions when you’re within 3 ft (6 ft for smallpox) of a patient
known to have or suspected of having a disease spread by
droplets. These include influenza, pertussis, and meningococcal
disease.
✓ Healthcare personnel should observe droplet precautions when
examining a patient with respiratory symptoms, especially if the
patient has a fever.
✓ These precautions should remain in effect until it’s determined that
the symptoms aren’t caused by an infection that requires droplet
precautions.
Droplet precautions
Used in addition to standard precautions when in contact with
patients with known or suspected diseases spread by fine particles
transmitted by air currents, such as tuberculosis, measles, and
severe acute respiratory syndrome.
✓ You must wear a National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health certified, fit-tested N-95 respirator just before entry into an
area shared with a patient suspected or known to have one of
these diseases. Because there are several sizes of N-95 respirator,
healthcare personnel must be fit tested according to organizational
policy or at least every 2 years to be sure you’re using the correct
size. If eye protection is needed, wear goggles or a face shield
during all contact with the patient, not just if you predict splashes
or sprays.
Airborne precautions