Infection control

Question 1

What is the chain of infection?

Answer 1

CHAIN OF INFECTION
• Susceptible host - low immunity, low white cell count, imbalance in normal flora, invasive
procedures
• Causative micro-organism - increase number in hospital, resistant strains
• Reservoir - patients, visitors, stuff, fomites -> where the spread originates
• Portal of entry/exit - respiratory tract, GI tract, GeUri tract, broken skin
• Mode of transmission:
i exogenous spread (direct/indirect contact, vector spread, airborne)
ii endogenous spread (self spread)

Question 2

What ways can we break the chain of infection?

Answer 2

HAND DECONTAMINATION
• removing transient hand flora
i staphylococcus aureus ii streptococci
iii viruses
• reducing number of resident flora
i anaerobic cocci
ii staphylococcus epidermidis
• WHEN? -> basically all the time (before & after anything you do in hospital!)
• Types of handwashing:
i Level 1: Routine handwash
ii Level 2: Hygienic hand antisepsis
iii Level 3: Surgical handscrub
• SOAPS:
i Alcohol gel - destroys most transient organisms (MRSA) but does not kill Norovirus or
Clostridium difficile
ii Antimicrobial Liquid Soap - removes all transient organisms
This is not an official University document. It was made by a student as a simple review of the 10 study material. Beware of any potential inaccuracies: GO TO LECTURES pals ;)

DISPOSAL OF CLINICAL WASTE
• Household waste - paper, plastic bottles, containers
• Clinical waste - sharps, soiled dressings, blood, body fluids (must be traceable back to the
source!)
• Sharp bins

STANDARD INFECTION CONTROL PRECAUTIONS
• gloves and aprons, hand hygiene
• correct sharps manipulation
• correct clinical waste and linen handling