Infection Control: Specimen collection technique Flashcards
How to collect a wound specimen?
- Clean site with sterile water or saline
- Wear gloves and use cotton swab or syringe to collect drainage
- Set clean tube on paper towel nearby
- Swab healthiest tissue, grasp tube with paper towel
- Insert swab without touching outside of tube
- Secure tube top, transfer to bag for transport
- Perform hand hygiene
How to collect a blood specimen?
- Wear gloves
- Use syringe and culture bottles, collect up to 10mL per bottle
- Perform venipuncture at two different sites
- Place bottles on surface, swab tops with alcohol
- Inject appropriate blood amount into each bottle
- Transfer to clean labeled bag for transport
- Remove gloves, perform hand hygiene
How to collect a stool specimen?
- Wear gloves
- Use clean cup with lid and tongue blade
- Collect walnut-sized amount from bedpan
- Transfer to cup without touching outside
- Dispose of tongue blade, seal cup
- Transfer to clean bag for transport
- Remove gloves, perform hand hygiene
How to collect a urine specimen?
- Wear gloves
- Use syringe and sterile cup/tube, collect 1-5mL
- Place cup/tube on clean towel in bathroom
- For catheterized patient, use syringe
- For non-catheterized, follow clean catch procedure
- Transfer urine to sterile container
- Secure lid, transfer to labeled bag
- Remove gloves, perform hand hygiene
What are important steps for specimen collection?
- Use disposable gloves and sterile equipment
- Collect fresh material from infection site to avoid contamination
- Seal specimen containers tightly to prevent spillage and outside contamination
What are guidelines for bagging contaminated waste or linen?
- Use a single sturdy, impervious bag if item can be placed without contaminating outside
- Place soiled linen in impervious laundry bag in patient’s room
- Double bagging only needed if impossible to prevent outside bag contamination
- One standard, securely tied bag is adequate if not overfilled
What should be done before transporting a patient?
- Patient hand hygiene
- Clean gown/robe
- Airborne patients only leave for essentials
- Airborne patients wear masks
- Transport staff may need barriers
What precautions are needed during patient transport?
- Cover stretcher/wheelchair if fluid expected
- Clean/disinfect equipment after if soiled
- Notify receiving area of isolation
- Record isolation type
- Provide mask/tissues for airborne/droplet
What are the key roles of an infection control professional?
- Educate staff on infection prevention/control
- Develop/review infection control policies
- Recommend isolation procedures
- Screen for reportable community infections
- Consult on preventing staff infections (e.g. TB)
- Gather data on hospital-acquired infections
- Notify health dept of facility communicable diseases
- Investigate unusual infection events/clusters
- Recommend patient/family education
- Identify equipment infection control issues
- Monitor antibiotic resistance
- Monitor hospital construction dust containment
What risks do healthcare workers face regarding infections?
- Continual exposure risk to microorganisms
- Protocols advise staff on infection control
- Regular staff education programs
- Rules prevent unnecessary pathogen exposure
Why is patient education on infection control important?
- Patients unaware of infection spread/prevention
- Home environments may hinder prevention
- Nurses help adapt home for hygiene
- Lower risk than hospitals due to less exposure
What is surgical asepsis?
Procedures used to eliminate all microorganisms, including spores, from an object or area. Any contact with non-sterile objects contaminates the sterile field.
When should surgical asepsis be used?
- During procedures that perforate the patient’s skin (IV insertions, injections)
- When skin integrity is broken due to trauma, incisions, burns
- For insertion of catheters or instruments into sterile body cavities
Where is surgical asepsis commonly practiced?
- Operating rooms
- Labor and delivery areas
- Major diagnostic areas
- Also at bedside for IV/urinary catheter insertions, dressing changes
What steps maintain sterile technique in the operating room?
- Applying mask, protective eyewear, cap
- Performing surgical hand scrub
- Donning sterile gown and gloves
What is the key principle when using surgical asepsis?
Preventing infections by avoiding any break in sterile technique.
Why must the nurse prepare the patient before a sterile procedure?
Surgical asepsis requires exact techniques and the patient’s cooperation to avoid contamination.
What should patients avoid during sterile procedures?
- Sudden movements of body parts covered by sterile drapes
- Touching sterile supplies, drapes, or the nurse’s gown/gloves
- Coughing, sneezing, or talking over the sterile area
