infection control Flashcards
what is kochs postulate?
- microorganism present in every case of disease but absent from healthy organism
- suspected microorganism can be isolated & grown in pure culture
- same disease must result when isolated microorganism is inoculated into healthy host
- same microorganism must be isolated from host again
what do you do to chain of infection to interrupt transmission?
you can break it at any point
what is the chain of infection?
- portal of entry
- susceptible host
- infectious microbe
- reservoir
- portal of exit
- mode of transmission
what are ways to break chain of infection?
- sterilisation/disinfection
-PPE/isolation - decontamination
- vaccination
what are examples of how endogenous microbe to pathogen (how enters body)?
- damage to epithelium
- presence of foreign body (biofilm key factor)
- transfer of bacteria to incorrect site
- suppression of immune system (radiation, malnutrition)
- infection by exogenous pathogen (secondary infection, immune suppression, inflammation)
- disruption of microflora by antibiotics
what are the 5 I’s of how infection spreads?
Inhalation
Ingestion
Inoculation
mother to Infant (vertical transmisiion)
Intercourse (STD & STI)
how do you wash your hands properly?
- palm to palm
- palm over dorsum
- fingers interlaced
- backs of fingers to palms while interlaced
- rotational rubbing of thumbs in opposite palms
- rotational rubbing of clasped fingers in palms
- fingernails are easily missed
what are places that you need to do hand hygiene after?
- before patient contact
- before aspetic task
- after body fluid exposure risk
- after patient contact
- after contact with patient surroundings
what are respiratory precautions?
- cover nose & mouth with disposable single use tissue when cough/sneeze etc
- dispose hand tissue in waste bin
- wash hands with soap & water after coughing & sneezing
- keep contaminated hands away from mucous membrane
what are droplet precautions?
- single room
- ensuite
- gloves
- apron or fluid resistant gown
- mask
- eye protection
- vaccination (including staff)
what is PPE?
- gloves
-aprons
-face/mouth/eye protection - appropriate footware
what should you use PPE depending on?
- assessment of risk
- risk of infectious agent
- risk of exposure to mucous membrane
- risk of contact with blood or body fluids, secretions & excretions
what is disinfection definition?
renders something to a level that is safe but still potentially infection
what is definition of sterilisation?
make (something) free from bacteria or other living microorganisms
what do you use to disinfect?
- sonification/filtration
- chemicals (disinfectants) - chlorohexidine & ethanol
- antiseptics
what do you use to sterilise?
- different methods
- autoclave
- radiation (single use instruments)
what factors influence transmission?
- host
- agent
- environment
what are the index cases?
patient zero = first case identified
primary case = case that brings infection into population
secondary = infected by primary case
tertiary = infected by secondary care
why do you model infectious diseases?
to give idea of risk posed
what does sporadic mean?
temporal, low level, intermediate (comes up and goes down)
what does endemic mean?
present throughout the population, at acceptable level
what does epidemic mean?
amount increases over time period, sudden increase
what does pandemic mean?
one or more continent
do diseases always fit into one category ?
no - sometimes they move around - like covid was pandemic and now could be endemic or sporadic - we don’t know
