Infection Control Flashcards
Nurses are in a unique position to break the chain of infection by…
Practicing medical and surgical asepsis, and testing infections that arise
Absence of pathogens
Asepsis
Practices implemented before, during, and after a procedure to prevent infection
Aseptic technique
Medical asepsis aka
Clean technique
Medical aseptic interventions include… (2)
Hand hygiene and PPE
Medical asepsis is implemented for…
ALL patients
Surgical asepsis aka
Sterile technique
Surgical asepsis prevents…
Introduction of microorganisms from environment to a patient’s body cavity or incision during specialized procedures
Most important medical aseptic technique
Hand hygiene
Hand hygiene includes three things
Soap and water, hand sanitizer, and surgical hand scrub
Hand sanitizers reduce the number of microorganisms but…
Do not eliminate them all
Hand sanitizers are most effective when…
They contain at least 60% alcohol and hands are not visibly dirty
The best way to reduce the number of hand microbes
Soap and water
Wash hands when…
Hands are visibly dirty, exposure to c diff, before eating, and after using the restroom
Non-alcohol based hand sanitizers may…
Irritate the skin and cause microorganisms to develop resistance to sanitizer
Nails should be…
Natural, and no longer than 1/4 inch
When are isolation gowns used?
Possibility that clothing will be soiled
When are isolation gowns discarded?
Immediately after use, and they are only used once
What to masks prevent against?
Large particles that travel less than 3 feet and small particles suspended in the air
The effectiveness of masks decreases when…
Worn for long periods of time or get wet
N95 masks are used to prevent
Contagious airborne disease and must have special fit
Goggles protect against
Splashes, sprays, respiratory droplets
Face shields should have crown and chin protection, as well as…
wrap around face to ear
Head and shoe covers are used when…
increased risk of contamination to patient or healthcare provider (ex: in L&D and OR)
Gloves are changed when…
Soiled and in between patients
Sterile gloves are needed for…
Urinary catheter insertion
7 steps of donning PPE
1) Hand hygiene
2) Don gown
3) Adjust mask
4) Adjust eyewear
5) Apply head cover
6) Apply shoe cover
7) Don gloves
PPE is removed in this order… (6)
1) Gloves
2) Eyewear
3) Gown
4) Mask
5) Shoe and head cover
6) Perform hand hygiene
Minimum infection prevention practice
standard precautions
Standard precautions include (5)
Hand hygiene, PPE, safe injection practices, safe handling of contaminated equipment/surfaces, and respiratory hygiene/cough
Use standard precautions when… (4)
Blood and bodily fluids
non intact skin
mucous membranes
other potentially infectious material
Never __ used needles
recap
Patient and family education regarding standard precautions needs to be
documented
Transmission based precautions include…
Contact, droplet, and airborne
Implemented to prevent transmission by direct/indirect contact
Contact precautions
Contact precaution PPE
Gown and gloves
Contact precautions are required when…
Multi drug resistant organisms, scabies, HSV, recessive wound drainage, fecal incontinence
Droplet transmission pathogens can occur through…
Coughing, sneezing, talking, suctioning, intubation, CPR, and CPT
Droplet precautions are required for…
Pharyngeal diphtheria Mumps, rubella, pertussis Scarlet fever, streptococcus pharyngitis Pneumonia Pneumonic plague meningococcal sepsis Influenza
Airborne precautions aka
Isolation precautions
Airborne precautions are required for…
Varicella, rubeola, and TB
Patients if leaving room and are on droplet precautions should…
wear a mask
Active acquired immunity
Immunization
How will the nurse know the patient understands?
Teach back
Disinfect reusable equipment at home with…
10% chloride bleach AFTER using soap and water
Used to protect patients with compromised immune systems
Protective isolation
Communicable disease for which federal isolation and quarantine are required…
Cholera, diphtheria, TB, plague, viral hemorrhagic fever, SARS, influenza, smallpox, yellow fever
Process used to destroy all microorganisms including spores
Sterilization
Physical sterilization methods
steam, boiling water, dry heat, and radiation
Chemical sterilization methods
Gasses or solutions
Prepackaged sterile containers must be…
Undamaged and not expired
Disinfections kills all microorganisms except
spores
Disinfection agents include…
Germicidal agents or antiseptic agents
