infection control Flashcards
what is a parasite
an organism that lives off a living organism at the expense of the host
what does the parasite do to the host
harms it
name 3 characteristics of a bacteria
- don’t have a nucleus
- single celled
- reproduce via binary fission
what are the bacterial shapes
- rod -Escherichila Coli
- spherical -cocci
- spiral - lepto
- comma - vibrios
- diplococci- streptococci
name 3 characteristics of a virus
- smallest of all microbes
- require an electron microscope to view
- rely on host to reproduce
name 3 characteristics of a fungi
- usually rounded
- have a membrane bound nucleus
- made up of DNA or RNA
what is a mechanical vector
a disease agent which doesn’t replicate or develop in or on the vector. it’s transported by the vector from one animal to another
what is a biological vector
when a vector uptakes the agent which is usually through a blood meal from an infected animal, it replicated and or develops it and then regurgitates the pathogen onto or injects it into a susceptible animal
what is sterilisation
sterilisation refers to the destruction of all pathogenic micro organisms including their spores
why is sterilisation used in vet practices
it’s used in conjunction with disinfectant as disinfectant does not guarantee the destruction of bacterial spores
what are the 2 sub categories of sterilisation
- heat sterilisation
- chemical sterilisation
explain how the autoclave works
- water is heated to produce steam
- pressure in the steam jacket is raised dependent on the cycle, the steam enters the chamber and displaces air
- the air is evacuated, the vents close, and the steam continues to enter the chamber until the desired pressure is reached.
- steam produces heat which penetrates the innermost layer of the pack
- after the set amount of time the steam is exhausted and the temperature drops and the pressure returns to normal
what instruments can go into the autoclave
drapes, gowns, swabs, rubber items
what can’t go into the autoclave
catheters, lenses, fibre optic equipment
what are the phases of steam sterilisation
- conditioning - steam is introduced into the drying chamber
- exposure- steam temp reaches a predetermined point and the sterilisation process begins
- exhaust- steam is released from the chamber
- drying - some autoclaves don’t have this function but when the packs are dried
what are the rules for the autoclave
- ensure the adequate space between packs/items when loading to allow steam to circulate freely
- ensure there is no blocking of the inlet and exhaust valves
- before packing for sterilisation, instruments must be free of grease and organic matter to allow for effective penetration of steam
- use distilled water only
chemical indicator strips ( TST )do what?
show colour changes when the correct temperature, pressure and time have been reached
brownes tubes do what
change colour when temperature have been maintained for a required period of time
where is bowie dick tape used and what is it
it is a beige coloured tape with white stripes which turn black when a certain temperature is reached. it doesn’t indicate sterility as it doesn’t ensure a temp was maintained for the required amount of time. they are used to seal packs
what is barrier nursing
form of care provided to patients with infectious disease to limit the spread of cross contamination between patients and personnelle
what is isolation
segregation and selection of infection/ potentially infected animals from the uninfected
Describe the cleaning protocol for theatre between surgical cases
remove all contaminated equipment from surgery
Ensure all surgical instruments are soaked in appropriate enzymatic cleaner, diluted to manufacturers guidelines
Place waste into appropriate bins
Dilute disinfectant to manufacturers guidelines
Selected designated surgical cloth and bucket and clean surgical surfaces, for example, table, top or surgical tray
Any flat surfaces you clean from inside out
sweep and mop area around the surgical table and anywhere with gross contamination
