Ch.2 Communicable Diseases Flashcards
Pathogens
- Microorganisms that cause disease
- Visible only through microscope
Bacteria
- Microscopic organisms that can reproduce on their own
- Respond to antibiotics
- TB, UTI, step throat are common bacterial infections
Virus
- Smaller than bacteria
- Cannot reproduce without a host cell
- Antibiotics not effective
- HIV/AIDS , hepatitis, chicken pox
Fungi
- Plantlike Microorganisms
- Typically do not cause infection in good immune systems
- Pneumonia in an HIV infected person
Protozoa
- Enter through oral-fecal route
- Mosquitoes carry Protozoa that causes malaria
Helminths
- Parasitic worms (Tape Worms)
- Enter by ingestion of worm eggs
Communicable diseases
- Spreads from person to person
- Blood to Blood
- Contact with open wounds
- Contact with mucous membranes
- Needle sticks
- Airborne
Standard Precautions
-Required by OSHA
-Both employers and employees are responsible for:
•Ensuring proper equipment
•Ensuring policies are in place
-Employer must also develop and enforce an exposure policy
Standard precaution applies to being exposed to
- Blood
- All body secretions, except sweat
- Non-intact skin
- Mucous membranes
PPE
- Gloves
- Eye protection
- Gowns
- Masks
Hand washing time?
10-15 seconds
Cleaning Equipment
-Cleaning
•Soap and water only
-Disinfecting
•Hospital grade disinfectant or germicide solution
•Most common for back of ambulance and equipment
Sterilization
-All organisms killed!
Hepatitis B
- Spread via blood and body fluids
- Inflammation of the liver
- Immune response to the virus causes swelling of the liver
- Can live outside body for 7 days
Hepatitis B S/Sx
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- Jaundice (Late sign)
Hepatitis C
-Transmission mode and S/Sx similar to Hep B
-Much clear to clear though:
•85% will become chronic carriers
Vs.
•5% of Hep B infected people become chronic carriers
PPE for Hepatitis
-No blood or body fluids
•Gloves should be sufficient
-Presence body fluids?
•Gloves, goggles, mask, possibly gown
Tuberculosis
-Bacterial disease
•Pneumonia
•Can be active or inactive in the lungs
-Highly contagious through droplet secretions
•Cannot be spread via contact (Hand shaking)
Tuberculosis S/Sx
- Fever
- Cough
- night sweats
- weight loss
Tuberculosis test
- Skin test common
- Xrays
TB full PPE
-Full PPE for active TB including N-95 mask
HIV/AIDS
- Virus destroys the body’s ability to fight infection
- Spread thru blood and body fluids
HIV/AIDS S/Sx
- Most involved general illness
- Pneumonia
- Infection
HIV/AIDS PPR
- No body fluids=Gloves
- Body fluids=full PPE
