Hand hygiene Flashcards
5 moments for hand hygiene
Moment 1: Before touching a patient
Moment 2: Before a clean or aseptic procedure
Moment 3: After body fluid exposure risk
Moment 4: After touching a patient
Moment 5: After touching patient surroundings
stages of infection (IPFC)
Incubation period
Prodromal stage
Full (acute) stage of illness
Convalescent period
incubation period (think incubate)
The incubation period is the interval between the pathogen’s invasion of the body and the appearance of symptoms of infection. During this stage, the organisms are growing and multiplying. The length of incubation may vary. For example, the common cold has an incubation period of 1 to 2 days, whereas tetanus has an incubation period ranging from 2 to 21 days.
prodromal stage
A person is most infectious during the prodromal stage. Early signs and symptoms of disease are present, but these are often vague and nonspecific, ranging from fatigue and malaise to a low-grade fever. This period lasts from several hours to several days. During this phase, the patient often is unaware of being contagious. As a result, the infection spreads to other hosts.
full stage illness
The presence of infection-specific signs and symptoms indicates the full stage of illness. The type of infection determines the length of the illness and the severity of the manifestations. Symptoms that are limited or occur in only one body area are referred to as localized symptoms, whereas symptoms manifested throughout the entire body are referred to as systemic symptoms.
convalescent period
The convalescent period involves the recovery from the infection. Convalescence may vary according to the severity of the infection and the patient’s general condition. The signs and symptoms disappear, and the person returns to a healthy state. However, depending on the type of infection, there may be a temporary or permanent change in the patient’s previous health state even after the convalescent period.
A person may continually pass through the four phases with the same infectious process, such as with herpes simplex. Although there may have been only one infectious exposure, the infection may continue to cycle through the phase
humoral v. cellular response
The major difference between humoral and cell-mediated immunity is that humoral immunity produces antigen-specific antibodies, whereas cell-mediated immunity does not.
cell-mediated immunity (white cell mediators)
This type of immunity involves an increase in the number of lymphocytes (white blood cells) that destroy or react with cells the body recognizes as harmful
two asepsis categories (asepsis is med surg)
medical asepsis and surgical asepsis
5 times to wash hands
before touching a patient, before asceptic procedure, after body fluid exposure risk, after touching a patient, and after touching a patient’s surroundings
use alcohol rub to clean hands if…
they are not visibly soiled or have not come into contact with blood or bodily fluids, if moving from a contaminated body site to a clean body site during patient care, before and after each patient contact, after contact with surfaces in a patient environment, and after removing gloves.
when is handwashing preferred over alcohol rub?
when hands are visibly soiled, when hands are contaminated w/ blood or bodily fluids, before eating and after using the restroom, if I know or suspect I’ve been exposed to certain organisms, such as anthrax, norovirus, or cloistridium difficile
in general when using hygiene products
there are different requirements for each institution, so follow facility policy. Also be aware of product labels and instructions on alcohol based hand rubs
how to use alcohol rub
apply correct amount based on manufacture’s labelling into the palm. usually 1 - 3 mL is dispensed. rub together covering all parts of hands and fingers. go in between fingers and get fingernails. rub together for 15 seconds or until completely dry.
process of handwashing
small wedding band ok, but keep clothes away from the sink. turn on water and adjust the flow to prevent splashing. use warm water. keep hands lower than elbows, allow water to flow towards fingertips. 1 tsp of liquid soap and lather thoroughly. cover all parts of hands, and rub with firm, circular motions. scrub each finger, knuckles, wrists, and forearms. and in between each finger. wash to 1 inch above the wrist. after about 20 seconds, clean under fingernails with opposite hand or orange wood stick. pat hand with paper towel, beginning at fingertips and moving upward. throw away towel after drying and use another towel to turn off faucet.
