Chapter 11-Infection Control

Question 1

Types of pathogens

Answer 1

Bacteria: staph, E. coli, mycobacterium tuberculosis

Viruses: HIV, hepatitis, herpes zoster, HSV

Fungi: molds and yeasts

Prions colon protein particles

Parasites: malaria, toxoplasmosis, flatworms, roundworms

Question 2

What is virulence?

Answer 2

The ability of a pathogen to invade and injure a host

Question 3

Herpes zoster

Answer 3

Common viral infection that irrupt’s years after exposure to chickenpox and invades a specific nerve tract.

Question 4

Native immunity

Answer 4

Restricts entry or immediately responds to a foreign organism through the activation of different cells. Example: rejection of organ transplants

Question 5

Passive immunity

Answer 5

Antibodies are produced by an external source. Example: immunizations or antibodies through breast milk.

Question 6

Specific adaptive immunity

Answer 6

Allows body to make antibodies in response to a foreign organism. Example: when someone recovers from chicken pox the body has memory of how it fought it off.

Question 7

Chain of infection

Answer 7

Causative agent (pathogen)

Reservoir (means of entry such as human, food, animal, organic matter)

Portal of exit (respiratory tract, GI tract, skin, body fluids)

Mode of transmission (contact, droplet, airborne, vector borne)

Portal of entry (might be the same as portal of exit)

Susceptible host (compromised defense mechanisms)

Question 8

Stages of infection

Answer 8

Incubation: interval between pathogen entering and presentation of first finding

Prodromal stage: interval from onset of findings to more distinct findings

Illness stage: when findings are specific to infection

Convalescence: interval when acute findings disappear

Question 9

What is an HAI?

Answer 9

Hospital acquired infection

Examples are UTI, pneumonia, ventilator infections

Question 10

People at higher risk for infection

Answer 10

Caregivers that don’t follow handwashing, clients who have poor personal hygiene, poor nutrition, clients who smoke, drink alcohol, experience stress, clients that live in crowded environments, older adult clients, unprotected sex, IV drugs and sharing needles, clients Who have been exposed to poor sanitation, parasitic diseases, diseases in certain countries.

Question 11

Findings in client with infection

Answer 11

Fever, chills, sweating, increased pulse and respiratory rate, malaise, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, cramping and diarrhea, enlarged lymph nodes.

Older adults:
May experience agitation confusion or incontinence

Inflammation:
is redness, warmth, edema, pain, tenderness, loss of use to an effected area.

Question 12

What is serous fluid?

Answer 12

Clear drainage

Question 13

What is sanguinous drainage?

Answer 13

Drainage that contains red blood cells.

Question 14

What is purulent drainage?

Answer 14

Maybe pinkish in color generally infected

Question 15

What is serous- sanguinous discharge?

Answer 15

Maybe pink and color but less infected looking. It is a mixture of clear drainage and bloody drainage.

Question 16

Standard precautions

Answer 16

Using hand hygiene, used when coming into contact with bodily fluids except sweat, non-intact skin, and mucous membranes.

Masks, eye protection, and face shields are required when care might cause splashing or spraying of bodily fluids.

Question 17

Airborne precautions

Answer 17

Requires: private room, masks such as N 95 or high efficiency particulate air respirator HEPA.

Visitors must wear masks

Negative pressure airflow room for at least 6 to 12 exchanges per hour

If splashing or spraying is a possibility, wear full face protection.

If leaving the room clients must wear a mask.

Question 18

Droplet precautions

Answer 18

Private room or a room with other clients who have the same infectious disease

Clients have their own equipment

Masks for providers and visitors

Wearing a mask while outside of the room.

Question 19

Contact precautions

Answer 19

Require private room or room with other clients who have same infection

Gloves and gowns worn by caregivers and visitors

Dispose of infectious dressing material into single non-porous bag without touching outside of the bag.

Question 20

Protective environment such as neutropenic patients

Answer 20

Private room, positive airflow, HEPA filtration, mask for clients

Question 21

Antipyretics

Answer 21

Used for fever and discomfort such as acetaminophen and aspirin

Question 22

Anti-microbial therapy

Answer 22

Kills or inhibit the growth of micro organisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoans.

Effectiveness is shown with reduce fever, increased level of comfort, or decreasing WBC count.

Question 23

Transporting a client

Answer 23

If transporting is unavoidable the nurse takes precautions to ensure that the environment is not contaminated.

Question 24

Reporting communicable diseases

Answer 24

There are more than 60 communicable diseases that must be reported to public health departments. It is a nurses responsibility to help identify these.

Question 25

Client education

Answer 25

Teach clients about any infection control measures at home, self administration of medication therapy, and complications to report immediately.