infection control and prevention & OHS Flashcards
infection control definition
the discipline concerned with preventing nosocomial or healthcare associated infection, a practical sub-discipline of epidemiology
what are 3 universal precautions for infection control
effective handwashing, use of PPE and cleaning/disinfection
cleaning definition
removing organic matter
disinfection definition
killing micro-organisms
specific measures for infection control rely on
knowledge of pathogen
modes of transmission
fecal-oral, food, aerosol, blood, sexual, vector
pathogen transmitted by fecal-oral
canine parvovirus
pathogen transmitted by food
diphyllobothrium
pathogen transmitted by aerosol
foot and mouth disease
pathogen transmitted by blood
equine infectious anemia (technically vector)
pathogen transmitted by sexual
transmissible venereal tumor
pathogen transmitted by vector
heartworm
pathogen transmitted by fecal-oral
canine parvovirus, neospora, e. coli
pathogen transmitted by food
diphyllobothrium, trichinella
pathogen transmitted by aerosol
foot and mouth disease, PRRS, aspergillus
pathogen transmitted by blood
equine infectious anemia (technically vector), anaplasma
pathogen transmitted by sexual
transmissible venereal tumor, brucella, tritrichomonas fetus
pathogen transmitted by vector
heartworm (dirofilaria immitis)
what does canine parvovirus cause
vomiting and diarrhea (most common in pups
when does canine parvovirus shedding peak
4-7 days post infection
what does equine infectious anemia causes
anorexia, jaundice, fever, abortion (clinical disease associated with stress)
why is equine infectious anemia virus hard to deal with
reportable disease; animals are lifelong carriers
what are some key points to dealing with pathogens and controlling infection
understanding pathogen lifestyle and identifying source of pathogen
disease outbreak definition
occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would normally be expected in a defined community, geographical area or season
when can a single case of disease be recognized as an outbreak
in the case of communicable disease long absent from population or caused by an agent not previously recognized in that community or area; or emergence of a previously unknown disease
advantages of using phenotypic susceptibility profiles
information you already have, quick and cheap
disadvantage of using phenotypic susceptibility profiles
resistance phenotype is VERY POOR predictor of relatedness
phenotypic prediction problems
common things are common (unrelated organisms often have similar susceptibility profiles), homogenizing effect of local antimicrobial use, horizontal gene transfer
what are some problems with infection control definition
human oriented; doesn’t take into account the full spectrum of vet med
infection control for parvovirus
isolate cases, have dedicated staff, PPE
infection control for EIA
ID + animals, prevent iatrogenic infection, destruction of + animals, isolation in “fly proof” barn
infection control for EIA
ID + animals, prevent iatrogenic infection, destruction of + animals, isolation in “fly proof” barn
sources of hospital super bugs
auto-infection, spread from other animals, common 3rd source
risks of OHS in veterinary medicine
risks for clients or their animals, risks of disease spread, risks for workers in clinic, risks for veterinary medicine
what are OHS risks for veterinarians
chemical, biological, physical and psychological hazards
what are OHS risks for veterinarians
chemical, biological, physical and psychological hazards
what are your responsibilities to protect clients
entire facility should be free from hazards to public, staff and patients; safe access to the building; convenient and safe area to park; free from offensive odors; fire, safety and equipment protocols; minimize risk of disease; animals in clinics care must be safe from theft, unauthorized release or escape
what responsibility does the clinical have regarding disease spread
responsibility to minimize risks associated with introduction and spread of infectious/zoonotic disease
what responsibility does the clinical have regarding disease spread
responsibility to minimize risks associated with introduction and spread of infectious/zoonotic disease
what should be included in owners comprehensive written occupation health and safety plans
management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification, hazard prevention and control, education and training, program evaluation
what is the employers responsibility to their employees
to provide a safe workplace
veterinarians should have training in
potential workplace hazards, occupation risks for pregnant or immunocompromised workers, controls for reducing workplace exposure, infection control practices, safe handling restraint and care of animals, preventing needlestick or scalpel injury, use of PPE, reporting work-related injury/illness, emergency and evacuation procedures
SVMA statement regarding employer responsibility with chemicals/biologics
employer must identify and monitor use of any hazardous or harmful chemical or biologic substances in the workplace
what must veterinarians make workers aware of in regards to chemicals/biologics
inform workers of nature/degree of effects to their health and safety of any chemical substance/biologics and provide workers with adequate training
chemical and radiological occupational risks
disinfectants, anesthetics, pesticides, latex, ionizing radiation
biologic occupational risks
zoonoses, allergens, vaccines, drugs
physical or ergonomic occupational risks
animal handling, heat stress, motor vehicle accidents, needle sticks, respiratory hazards, slips, trips, falls, laser hazards
psychological occupational risks
stress, workplace violence
ways to control risk
elimination, substitution, engineering controls, PPE, administrative controls
example of elimination as a control
remove hazard from workplace
example of substitution as a control method
switch to the use of a safer chemical
example of engineering controls
install an effective waste anesthetic gas scavenging system
example of PPE as a control method
require use of hearing protection in an animal shelter with barking dogs
example of administrative control methods
require rabies pre-exposure vaccination for workers at risk
