Ch. 7: Asepsis and Infection Control Flashcards
Microorganisms
tiny microscopic entities capable of carrying on living processes
Nonpathogenic
harmless, does not produce disease
Pathogenic
causes specific diseases or infections
Infection control and prevention
minimizing spread of health care, nosocomial infections or community-acquired infections to patients or staff
Asepsis types
medical and surgical asepsis
Infection
chain of events for infection to develop
Infectious agent
pathogen
Reservoir
where pathogen grows
Portal of exit
exit route from reservoir
Mode of transportation
method or vehicle of transportation
Portal of entry
entrance through skin, mucous lining, or mouth
Host
person or animal susceptible to the pathogen
Infectious agents
bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa
Body’s normal defenses
skin, mouth, respiratory tract, urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, vagina
With each patient care activity
the nurse should ensure that infection prevention and control are routine
Infectious process
progressive stages, localized, systemic
Progressive stages
incubation, prodromal, acute
Localized
superficial wound infection
Systemic
infection affects the entire body instead of single organ or part
Inflammatory response
body’s response to injury or infection
Protective vascular reaction delivering fluid, blood, and nutrients to
interstitial tissues in injured area
Neutralizes and eliminates pathogens or necrotic tissues and establishes a means of
repairing body cells and tissues
Nonsocomial infections
infection acquired while in the hospital or other health care agency, develops at least 48 hours after hospitalization, hospital setting harbors some virulent organisms, making it easier to acquire an infection
Infection control nurse
specialty profession in infection control and prevention
Occupational health services
important in prevention or control of infection in health care by taking measures to protect health care workers and patients from certain infections
Federal law requires making what vaccine available to all employees?
Hepatitis B
CDC
provides guidelines to interrupt the chain of infection and transmission of bloodborne pathogens and other potentially infectious materials
Hand hygiene
single most important and basic preventive technique used to interrupt the infectious process
How often should you wash your hands?
Before and after patient care
Standard precautions
first and second tiers
First tier
CDC’s isolation guidelines
Second tier
Disease-specific isolation
Transmission categories
airborne, droplet, and contact precautions
Isolation considerations
psychosocial/emotional deprivation
Surgical asepsis
complete removal of all microorganisms, including spores, surgical hand scrub, sterile technique, opening sterile packaging, sterile field, pouring sterile solutions, donning sterile gloves and gown
Cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization
aseptic and bacteriostatic, removing foreign materials, destroy microorganisms, method of killing all microorganisms
What are the two types of sterilization?
Physical and chemical
Patient teaching for infection prevention and control
teach infection control and practices at home, awareness of how infection is spread and ways to prevent transmission, educate about techniques used to control spread of infection
Infection prevention and control for home and hospice
basic principles of hygiene, educate about hand hygiene, food preparation, tube feedings, linens, waste containers, body fluid spills
