Infection Control

Question 1

Understand the role of an infection prevention and control unit in acute care settings

Answer 1

• education
• policy development
• Surveillance
• Outbreak investigation/management
• Health Canada Accreditation Standard
• Protect patients and protect healthcare workers

Question 2

Mechanisms of transmission in hospital

Answer 2

• Airborne (ex. TB is very small and can travel on air currents)… <5um that are small enough to remain suspended for a long time
• Direct Contact - Direct physical contact
• Indirect Contact… Transfer via an intermediate object… example door handle
• Droplet… large droplets! Things you cought or sneeze! Won’t be propelled long distances. Usually 1-2m maximum!
• Vehicle
• Vectorborne

Question 3

Name the most common nosocomial infections

Answer 3

• Is nosocomial IF infection acquired >48 hours after admission to hospital.
• Common infections have LINES…
• Catheter associated UTI
• Central Line Associated BSI
• Surgical site infection
• Antibiotic Resistant Organisms
• C Difficile infection
• Respiratory infections
• Other… outbreaks
• 36% UTI, 20% SSI, 11% pneumonia, 11% BSI

Question 4

Understand the burden of morbidity and mortality of hospital acquired infections (HAI)

Answer 4

• Costs A LOT of money per infection!
• Spent an extra 92 days in the hospital because of HAI…. Had to stay in assisted living facility.
• 2/3 of all hospital acquired infetions are preventable.. if prevented 70%.. would save $25 billion/year

Question 5

Know the epidemiology of HAI’s in North America (Hospital Acquired Infections)

Answer 5

• 50% decrease in CLABSI
• No change in CAUTI
• Mainly a decrease in everything else.
• Most infection is due to LINES… catheters etc!

Question 6

List ways that healthcare workers can prevent HAI’s

Answer 6

• Contact Precautions… Single room, dedicated patient equipment, gowns, gloves,
• Droplet precautions… Surgical mask if within 1m of coughing patient, dedicated patient equipment. Use for Meningococcal meningitis, All viral infections, influenza.
• Airborne Precautions… single room, negative pressure (usually think air outside is dirtier… but in this case… put room in negative pressure so that the air in the hall is sucked into the room instead of the air in the room being sucked out), Keep doors closed, Fit N95 mask!, hand hygiene…. Use for TB, Chicken pox (zoster), Measles

Question 7

Routine Practices to Prevent Infection

Answer 7

• Hand-hygiene… before and after every patient contact. If its wet and not yours, wear gloves.
• Mask, eye protection, face shield, gowns
• First wash hands, then put on gown,