Hygienic practice: handwashing Flashcards
pathogen
organism that can cause an infection
infection
multiplication of pathogenic organisms within or on a host with reaction of host tissues
disease
a disturbance of normal host function
infectious disease
an infection where the host reacts to a pathogen and as a result the host cells can’t carry out al normal functions
contamination
temporary presence of organisms in a location/enivronment without reaction/injury
colonisation
continued presence of organisms in a location/environment without reaction/injury
hygiene
condition or practice conducive to the preservation of health, as cleanliness
HCAI
healthcare acquired/associated infections
infectious disease acquired >48 hours after admission, 48< after discharge
common HCAIs
pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections
urinary tract infections
surgical site infections (multidrug resistant organisms)
gastroenteritis (clostridiodes and norovirus)
7 modes of transmission
airborne
direct contact
faecal-oral
indirect contact
blood borne
vector
vertical
chain of infection
infectious agent
reservoir
portal of exit
mode of transmission
portal of entry
susceptible host
detergent
disinfectant
hydrophobic part sticks to hydrophobic oils and micro-organisms
hydrophilic part allows water to rinse it away
works on all micro-organisms
alcohol
disinfectant
dissolves the ell membrane and denatures the proteins in the membrane
works on some micro-organisms
chlorine/chlorhexidine
sterilising agent
dissolves the cell membrane, positive charge binds the negative charged parts of micro-organisms
also attacks the inner membrane
works on all micro-organisms
modes of prevention
immunisation
screening
indwelling devices
screening
screening of patients on arrival to hospital or pre-operatively
MRSA: nose, perineum swab, patients are then given a decolonising body wash
CPE and ESBL producing enterbacteriacae: rectal swab or faeces
indwelling devices
increase the risk of infection e.g. urinary catheters (UTI’s) and venous cannulas (bacteraemia/sepsis)
personal responsibility
ensure you don’t attend work with diarrhoea and/ or vomiting
ensure you’re up to date on all vaccinations e.g. covid-19, FLU, HEP B and MMR
ensure you report recurrent boils, lesions, rashes or styes on the eye
outbreak
occurrence of more cases of a disease than would be expected within a specific place or group of people over a given period of time
what do the number of cases in an outbreak depend on
outbreak will vary according to the infection strain/disease size and type of population exposed and time and pale of occurrence
how do we control and prevent infectious disease spreading q
hand hygiene and PPE
decontamination/disinfection/sterilisation
waste and linen segregation
sharps safety
isolation and barrier nursing
immunisation programmes
building design
use of aseptic techniques
education
surveillance
wound dressing management and care of invasive devices
appropriate use of antimicrobials
purpose of outbreak management
protect public health by identifying the source and implementing control measures to prevent further spread or recurrence of the infection
how are outbreaks detected
IPCON teams in trusts
notification of UKHSA via suspected notifiable disease legislation
mandatory surveillance to UKHSA
reports from the public q
essential steps in outbreak management
surveillance
documentation
communication
timely and appropriate intervention measures
which HCAIs have mandatory surveillance
MRSA and MSSA bacteraemia
E.coli bacteraemia
P.aeruginosa
Klebsiella spp
C. difficile infection
COVID-19
what does surveillance of HCAIs allow
prompt action to reduce spread of infectious diseases
my responsibility and legislation
all staff should demonstrate good infection control and hygiene practices, effective prevention and control of healthcare acquired infections has to be embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently by everyone
