infection control lab Flashcards
What is an infection?
Disease entering the cell (pathogen/bacteria)
Infection control measures aim at
Protecting patients and healthcare workers
How do we control the spread of infectious agents?
- Reduce the number of infectious agents
- Control or eliminate reservoirs
- Control the portal of exit
- Control of transmission
- Control the portal of entry
- Protect the susceptible host
What is Asepsis?
Is the process of keeping away disease(producing microorganisms)
What is an aseptic technique?
A procedure used to reduce and prevent the spread of disease within pts and healthcare workers
Which are the two types of aseptic techniques?
- Medical asepsis (clean technique) hand hygiene, gloves.
- Surgical asepsis (sterile technique)
Control or eliminate the number of infectious agents
- Cleaning-soap water
- Disinfection-disinfectant/antiseptic
- Sterilization-destroys ALL microorganisms
Control or elimination or reservoirs
-controlling sources of bodily fluids, drainage
-disposal of infectious/contaminated waste
-contaminated needles “sharps”
-bottled solutions
Control of portals of exit
-teach the client to protect others when sneezing and coughing
-nurse with a cold should stay home
-wear gloves when handling fluids
Control of transmission: How are infectious agents transmitted
- Contact
- droplet
- droplet-contact
- airborne (transported by air)
The most basic technique for preventing the transmission of infections?
Hand washing/hand hygiene
When is handwashing mandatory?
-When caring for a pt with Clostridium difficile (C-Diff)
-hands visibly soiled(dirty)
hand washing or hand sanitizer
- before and after direct contact with client and client
surroundings - when moving from a contaminated body site to a clean site
- after contact with body fluids, mucous membranes, etc
- before putting on clean/sterile gloves
- after removing sterile/clean gloves
- before an invasive procedure
PPE
Personal protective equipment (gloves, mask, and gown)
Can we wear PPE with each patient?
NO, change with each patient.
Isolation Guidelines (two-tier system)
Tier 1 => Routine practices
Tier 2 => Isolation Precautions
Isolation guidelines are applicable when a worker might be exposed to:
-blood
-all body fluids (except sweat)
-non-intact skin
-mucous membrane
Tier 1-Routine practices includes:
-Hand hygiene
-appropriate use of PPE (gown, gloves, mask, eyewear)
-dedicated equipment: clients should not share care items (urinals, bedpans)
Tier 2- Isolation Precautions
Additional precautions designed for clients with highly transmissible pathogens
Contact Precautions
- Hand hygiene (before and after client contact)
- private room or cohort clients
- the door can be open
- gloves and gown upon entering the room
- limit client movement outside the room
- dedicated equipment when possible, discarding care items
- appropriately, cleaning and disinfecting equipment before removal from the isolation room
Droplet precaution
- Hand hygiene (before and after)
- Mask
- single room or cohort (group) of patients
- a door can remain open if the bed is more than 2 meters from the door
- a client should wear mask if leaving the room for a test or procedure
- consider eye protection if in close contact with the client and
splashing is possible
Droplet-Contact precautions
Hand hygiene (before and after)
single room or groups of patients
Airborne precautions (measles, tuberculosis , varicella)
- Hand hygiene (before and after)
- N95 mask
- private room
- negative pressure room
- dedicated equipment
- client should be confined to room as much as possible (transport should be minimal)
Control of Portal of entry
- maintain skin integrity (prevent breaks in the skin)
- Promoting good peri-care (cleaning the perineum properly after using the bathroom)
- aseptic technique for invasive procedures such as foley (catheter insertion, IV insertion, wound care)
Protection of susceptible host
- follow routine practices and isolation guidelines
- protect normal defense mechanisms (skin and mucous membrane as well as vaccination)
- maintain healing processes-proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, and minimal stress.
Client rooms
- Daily cleaning of surfaces in the room by hospital policy (done by cleaning staff)
- Every hospital has a protocol for cleaning the room after pt is discharged.
Immunization (for healthcare workers) (idk if this one is important)
Hepatitis B; Flu vaccine; Covid vaccine; Others may
be required if an outbreak occurs ex. Meningitis,
Chicken Pox/Herpes Zoster
