Chapter 10: Preventing disease transmission

Question 1

What are emerging diseases?

Answer 1

New diseases appearing in the population

Existing diseases that are rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range

resurgent or recurrent old disease caused by an old or mutated pathogen

Question 2

Who is responsible for keeping hospitals up to date about emerging diseases?

Answer 2

the infection control department is in charge of keeping hospitals up to date with WHO and CDC recommendations

Question 3

What are some of the factors that contribute to emerging diseases?

Answer 3

increased exposure to vectors in nature

population growth and migration to crowded cities

rapid international travel and transportation of goods

Contact with new strains of dangerous pathogens

Pathogen mutation caused by overuse of antimicrobial agents

Breakdown in public health measures

Climate change

Bioterrorism

Question 4

What are healthcare associated infections?

Answer 4

Those that occur more than 48 hours after being admitted to the hospital

Question 5

What is Clostridium difficile colitis?

Answer 5

gastrointestinal infection that causes diarrhea caused by a gram positive bacillus

Question 5

What are the most concerning healthcare associated infections and why?

Answer 5

MRSA and VRE because they are multi drug resistant

Question 6

Why is clostridium difficile colitis difficult to control?

Answer 6

Difficult to control because it cannot be eliminated by routine asepsis methods

Patients on antibiotics most susceptible

Question 7

What are bloodborne pathogens?

Answer 7

HIV
AIDS
Hepatitis

Question 8

What are the most common cause of transmission for bloodborne pathogens for healthcare workers?

Answer 8

Needle-stick injuries are most common cause of transmission from patients to healthcare workers.

Question 9

What is tuberculosis?

Answer 9

A contagious, airborne lung disease caused by M. tuberculosis

Question 10

What were quarantines used for?

Answer 10

to contain infectious diseases.. People were not allowed to leave the house and no one could enter until all members were well

Question 11

Isolation is no longer commonly used, but still a legal practice of the U.S. Public Health Service for diseases such as:

Answer 11

Cholera
Diphtheria
Smallpox
TB
Plague
Yellow fever
SARS

Question 12

What are some preventative measures of the past?

Answer 12

Universal precautions focused on barriers against bloodborne pathogens

Body Substance Precautions expanded protection to all moist body secretions

Question 13

What are standard/universal precautions ?

Answer 13

Designed to reduce risk of transmission of infections from unrecognized sources of bloodborne diseases and from other pathogens in healthcare institutions

Question 14

What are three different things that standard/universal precautions are used for?

Answer 14

Airborne transmission
Droplet transmission
Contact transmission

Question 15

When was the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standards published?

Answer 15

1991

Question 16

What requires employers to do the following:
develop an exposure control plan for the work site that describes employee protection measures

include engineering and work-practice controls to ensure the use of personal protective clothing and equipment

provide signs and labels to identify biohazard materials

provide annual bloodborne pathogen training, hepatitis b vaccinations, and medical care in the event of occupational exposure

Answer 16

OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard

Question 17

What is medical asepsis

Answer 17

Involves reducing the probability of infectious organisms being transmitted to a susceptible individual

Question 18

What is microbial dilution?

Answer 18

the process of reducing the number of organisms

hand hygiene
disinfection
sterilization (surgical asepsis)

Question 19

What is proper hand hygiene?

Answer 19

washing for 30-60 seconds with soap and water or alcohol based rubs

Question 20

What are CDC guidelines for the use of alcohol based hand rubs in the clinical setting?

Answer 20

Use before and after patient contact as long as the hands are not visibly soiled or contaminated

before donning gloves

after removal of gloves

after contact with inanimate objects (including medical equipment) in the immediate vicinity of the patient

Question 21

What do cleaning techniques help with?

Answer 21

they help reduce the incidence of airborne infections and the transfer of pathogens by fomites.

Question 22

What is the proper way to clean an area?

Answer 22

clean from the least contaminated area toward the more contaminated area and from the top down and avoid raising dust

Question 23

It is important to avoid what when cleaning an area?

Answer 23

do not contaminate yourself or the clean areas

Question 24

What should you do to equipment after it comes in contact with patients?

Answer 24

Use a clothe moistened with disinfectant

Question 25

What are some steps to take when handling and disposing contaminated items and waste

Answer 25

Replace linens after each patient

put needles in sharps container

blood contaminated items should be put in biohazard containers

Question 26

How do you dispose of contaminated linens?

Answer 26

fold edges to the middle without shaking or flapping

place loosely balled linens in designated hamper

Question 27

What are somethings to practice when taking radiographs of an isolation patient?

Answer 27

requires two technologists

one has all patient contact other has no patient contact and only handles the equipment

Question 28

Why is using two technologists for an isolation patient important?

Answer 28

it reduces the contamination of equipment, which is difficult to disinfect completely.

Question 29

When an isolation patient is in the department what should you do?

Answer 29

use sheets to cover the table or wheelchair etc

wear appropriate apparel

Question 30

who is considered compromised patients?

Answer 30

neonates, organ transplants, burn victims, and those receiving chemotherapy

also known as protective isolation or reverse isolation

Question 31

What are some requirements that might need to be met for compromised patients?

Answer 31

may require a modified surgical aseptic technique

two radiographers are recommended for imaging procedures