Infection Control Ch12 Flashcards
How to prevent illness or disease?
Inhibit or stop the growth and reproduction of microorganism a
What causes infections?
Microorganisms
The method of aseptic technique initiated by who? And what did it help?
Joseph lister
Helped reduce morbidity and mortality from surgery and wound care
What is lister known as?
The father of aseptic technique
Microorganisms
Any tiny, usually microscopic, entity capable of carrying on living process
Are naturally present on and in the human body, as well as in the environment.
Many are harmless (nonpathogenic) and in most individuals don’t produce disease
But if an individual is highly susceptible to infection, it’s possible for the nonpathogenic micro organisms to be dangerous
Some microorganisms are pathogens that do cause specific diseases or infection
Infection prevention and control
Consists of the implementation of policies and procedures in hospitals and other health care facilities to minimize the spread of health care associated or community acquired infections to patients and other staff members
Asepsis
Absence of pathogenic microorganisms
What is asepsis is decided Into what two categories?
- Medical asepsis
2. Surgical sepsis
Medical asepsis
Consists of techniques that inhibit the growth and spread of pathogenic microorganisms.
Also know as clean technique
Used in many daily activities
Such as hand hygiene, changing patients bed linen
Surgical asepsis
Destroys all microorganisms and their spores
Known as sterile technique
Used in specialized areas or skills, such as care of surgical wounds, urinary catheter insertion, invasive procedures and surgery
Spores
The reproductive cell of some microorganisms such as fungi or Protozoa
Definite cycle of chain of events (6)
- Infectious agent- a pathogen
- Reservoir- where the pathogen can grow
- Exit route from reservoir
- Method of vehicle of transportation, such as exudate, feces, air droplets, hands, and needles
- Entrance through skin, mucous lining or mouth
- Host - another person or animal
To prevent the spread of a microorganism, the cycle must be interrupted
Disinfection
Te use of a chemical that can be applied to objects to destroy microorganisms
Antiseptic
A substance that tends to inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms- may be used on humans), and sterilizing
Bacteria
3 basic shapes
Has many different characteristic
Three basis shapes: round, Oblong, and spiral
Some bacteria form a specialized structure called a spore
Single cell organism
Aerobic
Bacteria grow only in the presence of oxygen
Anaerobic
Bacteria grow only on the absence of oxygen
Stain test takes how long to complete?
48-72 hours
Streptococcus bacterium
Responsible for more diseases than any other organism but methicillin resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Growing in number and is responsible for a number of serious and sometimes fatal infections, such as necrotizing MRSA pneumonia
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Has been found in almost every area of the U.S. and its prevalence seems to be increasing
Anthrax
Spore forming bacterium
Occurs more commonly in animals, but it also has the ability to infect humans
Most likely routes of infection are breathing in the spores or spore contact with skin
vaccination is recommended for those at high risk of exposure
If left untreated can be fatal
Rickettsia rickettsii
Wood tick
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Viruses
Smallest known agents to cause disease
Consist of a protein coat around a nucleic acid core and depend on the metabolic processes of the cell they enter
Ability to pass through a laboratory filter
Known as filterable viruses
Viruses entrance to the body through various portals: (3)
respiratory tract
Gastrointestinal tract
Broken skin resulting from an animal bite
Sometimes the virus is injected by a mosquito or hypodermic needle
Fungi
Among the most common diseases found in humans
Ringworm (dermatomycosis) In children- affected is the scalp Mens beards (barbers itch) Feet (athletes foot) Domestic pets sometimes have ringworm
Protozoa
Single called animals
Exist everywhere In nature
Responsible for malaria, amebic dysentery, and African sleeping sickness
Reservoir
Any natural habitat of a microorganism that promotes growth and reproduction
Carrier or vector
A person or animal who does not become ill but harbors and spreads an organism, causing disease in others
Exit route
A microorganism doesn’t have the capacity to cause disease in another host without finding a point of escape from the reservoir
Gastrointestinal Respiratory Genitourinary systems Blood Wounds
Contaminated vehicle
By which microorganisms are carried about and transported to the next host, once they have left the reservoir contamination means a condition of being soiled, stained, touched by or otherwise exposed to harmful agents
Vector
If the vehicle is a living carrier