Infection Control Flashcards
What is a Communicable disease?
Infection is acquired by contact with a source of micro-organisms (e.g. bacteria, fungi, viruses)
Examples of Communicable disease?
- Spread from person to person
- Airborne viruses or bacteria
- Blood
- Bodily Fluids
-TB/Hep/MRSA/HIV/STD
How are CD’s dispersed?
- Air currents (coughing/Sneezing)
- Contact
- Ingestion
- Contact with bodily fluids
What factors affect risk of cross infection?
- Virulence of organism
- Health status of patient e.g Child/Elderly/Immunocompromised patients
What is Sterilisation?
Sterilisation is defined as the complete destruction of all micro-organisms and their spores, by chemical or physical agents
What is disinfection?
Disinfection is defined as the destruction of potentially pathogenic micro-organisms, but not their spores
How are bacterial spores produced?
By bacteria.
-Formed in response to adverse environmental conditions.
What are bacterial spores resistant to?
Heat
Dehydration
Radiation
Chemicals
What specific risks are there in a lab?
- Large numbers of patients
- Breathe in/out
- Risk associated with procedures/tests
- Immunocompromised patients/elderly patients
- Infectious patients (known vs unknown)
- ? multiple patients in same lab
How can we decrease risks?
- Hand Washing
- Lab SOP
- Correct disposal of sharps
- Robust equipment cleaning (sterilisation)
- Single Use items
- Staff Training
- Occ Health
What are the 2 types of bacterial viral filters?
- Electrostatic Membrane -> a charged material that traps particles/organisms by electrostatic charges on the fibres
- Pleated membranes -> a material containing numerous tightly packed folds physically stopping bacteria/viruses
What are immunocompromised patients?
A state in which the persons immune system is weakened or absent.
E.g HIV/Chemo patients/CF
- Try to test first
Active TB?
If respiratory equipment (e.g. mouthpieces, tubing, spirometers) has been exposed to a patient with known TB, equipment should be removed from use immediately
Should patients with Active TB be treated?
No.
TB is caused by?
Myobacterium Tuberculosis
How is TB spread?
Airborne (cough sneeze etc)
How can we diagnose?
- CXR
- Sputum test
- Mantoux test
What is Pseudomonas?
Can enter lung tissue (and colonise) in CF patients, and cause serious infection & mortality.
- Spread via contaminated hands/eqpt
Blood Spills?
For minor spillages (few drops) wear gloves
For major spillages, gloves/apron/masks
Isolate the spillage area
Area is washed down with appropriate solution (e.g. 10% hypochlorite)
Report incident as per local policy
