Basic infection control Flashcards
What is the chain of infection?
Infectious agent, reservoirs, portal of exit, means of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host
What are infectious agents?
Bacteria, virus, fungi, parasite/protozoa
How can you break the chain at the infectious agent level?
Rapid, accurate ID of organisms
What are culture and sensitivity tests?
Blood, sputum, urine for culture and possibly stool to ID an infectious agent
What are reservoirs?
People, equipment, solutions
Where something sits/is held
How can you break the chain at the reservoir level?
Health assessment
What is a portal of exit?
How germs get out of the reservoir Blood and body fluids Respiratory secretions Wound drainage Skin
How can you break the chain at the portal of exit level?
Handwashing, PPE, disposal, containment
What is a means of transmission?
How the infectious agent is transmitted Contact - Direct/indirect (bacteria falling off onto another surface) Airborne Vectorborne Vehicle
How can you break the chain at the means of transmission level?
Handwashing, isolation, decontaination, airflow control, food handling
What is a portal of entry?
How the infectious agent enters a host
Skin
What is a susceptible host?
Someone who is susceptible to infectious Immunosuppressed Poor skin integrity Invasive devices Being in a hospital
How can you break the chain at the susceptible host level?
Vaccinations, leukopenic precautions, treatment of underlying disease, recognition of high risk patients
What are principle risk factors for transmission?
Inadequate education Failure to recognize infected pt or susceptible host Absent/inappropriate barriers Unrestricted infected HCW Inadequate disinfection/sterilization
What are the goals of infection control?
Minimize development of infections in pts and HCWs
Prevent cross-transmission from pt to pt and pt to HCW
What is transmission by contact?
Direct route (hands of HCW) Indirect route (invasive/non-invasive equipment) Droplet route (meningitis, influenza, RSV)
Direct transmission
Hands of HCW - Respiratory infx - Enteroviral infx (coxsackie, echo, polio) - Hep A, E - Diarrheal diseases Response - Avoid pt-pt contact - Use barrier
Indirect/fomite route
Invasive/non-invasive equipment
Organisms can be carried on inanimate objects
Aerosol transmission
Falls to floor within 1-3 ft Most respiratory viruses - RSV/influenza - Most childhood exanthemas (rashes) - Strep Response - Single room - Mask within 3 ft
Airborne transmission
Droplet nuclei remain suspended in air - TB, measles, VZV Response - Neg pressure room - Surgical mask on for pt travel - Seropositive HCW (have titers) - Respirator on HCW
What follows the transmission-based precautions?
Airborne
Droplet
Contact
What follows airborne precautions?
Measles Chicken pox Herpes zoster TB (My Chicken Hez TB)
What is used for airborne precautions?
Private room, negative pressure with 6-12 air exchanges per hour, mark, N95 mask for TB
What requires droplet precautions?
S - Sepsis S - Scarlet fever S - Streptococcal pharyngitis P - Parvovirus B19 P - Pertussis P - Pneumonia I - Influenza D - Diphtheria (Pharyngeal) E - Epiglottitis R - Rubella M - Mumps M - Meningitis M - Mycoplasma or meningeal pneumonia An - Adenovirus
What are the precautions for droplet precautions?
Private room, mask
What requires contact precautions?
M - Multidrug resistant organism R - Respiratory infection - RSV S - Skin infections (see below) W - Wound infections E - Enteric infections - clostridium difficile E - Eye infections
Skin infections?
V - Varicella zoster C - Cutaneous diphtheria H - Herpes simplex I - Impetigo P - Pediculosis S - Scabies, Staphylococcus
What are the precautions for contact precautions?
Private room, gloves, gown
What is the donning PPE sequence?
Gown, mask, goggles gloves
What is the doffing PPE sequence?
Gown and gloves, goggles/face shield, mask/respirator, wash hands
Age 3-4 months of development
Infants begin to develop eye–hand coordination
Age 5-6 months of development
Many children have been introduced to solid foods
Age 7-9 months of development
Children can hold a spoon or drink from a cup with help
Age 9-12 months of development
Children can pick up finger food and feed themselves/drink from a bottle
Age 2-3 years of development
Daytime bowel and bladder control
Age 4+ years of development
Nighttime bowel and bladder control
What is transmitted by vehicle route?
Salmonella Hep A Hep B Hep C HIV
What is transmitted by vector borne route?
Lyme disease
Malaria
Rabies
Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever
