Infection Control - Levels of Infection Control

Question 1

What are the levels of infection control?

Answer 1

Preventing exposure of people to infectious agents

Vaccinating people before they are exposed to the infectious agents

Treating people with anti-microbial drugs once they have become infected. Must be used cautiously as microbes become resistant

Question 2

What is aseptic technique?

Answer 2

Aseptic technique refers to any procedure that minimises the spread of infectious disease

Can include:

• minimising the number of microbes present
• removing or killing microbes
• inhibiting microbe replication
• confining microbes to particular area (quarantine)

Question 3

What are some infection control procedures?

Answer 3

Sanitation - general cleaning procedures to reduce microbe numbers

Hygiene - reducing the number of microbes contaminating human bodies

Disinfection - removing or destroying most, but not all infectious agents

Antiseptics - Can be used safely on living tissue

Sterilisation - removing or destroying all infectious agents

Vaccinations - Exposure to a substance that will prime the immune system to respond quickly when infected

Anti-microbial drugs - kill or limit the growth of microbes once a person is infected