Infection Prevention Flashcards
Chain of infection?
Infectious agent reservoir portal of exit mode of transmission portal of entry host
Sites that can predispose a patient to infection?
Surgical wounds, respiratory tract, genitourinary tract, invasive devices, bloodstream, venipuncture sites, total parenteral nutrition therapy, implanted prosthetic devices
Course of infection?
Incubation period
Prodromal stage
Illness stage
Convalescence
Incubation period
Between infection and the first symptoms
Prodromal stage
Interval from nonspecific signs and symptoms to more specific
Illness stage
Manifests signs and symptoms, specific to type of infection
Convalescence
Acute symptoms disappear/recovery. It tends to take longer to get rid of respiratory stuff.
Difference between specific and nonspecific?
Nonspecific symptoms are more vague, like low fever, fatigue, etc. Specific helps to associate with areas of the body, like vomiting for the GI tract, etc.
The infectious process?
Local/Systemic Primary/Secondary Acute/Chronic Colonization Latent
Types of inflammatory exudate?
Serous; clear
Sanguineous; blood
Purulent; pus. Means infection unlike the other two. WBCs and bacteria.
Modes of transmission?
Direct, indirect, droplet, airborne, vehicle, vector-borne
Direct and indirect transmission?
Direct is direct physical contact. Indirect is infectious agent is deposited onto an object/surface (fomite)
Droplet and airborne transmission?
Droplet is coughing, sneezing, or during suctioning. Airborne is droplet nuclei that are suspended in the air the contain organisms.
Vehicle and vector-borne transmission?
Vehicle is a single contaminated source spreads the infection. Vector-borne is transmission by insect or animals.
Percentage a solution must be alcohol to be effective?
60-90% alcohol solution
Local clinical manifestations
Warmth, redness, swelling, pain/tender, movement limitation, open-wound drainage. Only affects the specific site.
Systemic clinical manifestations
Temp elevation, fatigue/malaise, nausea/vomiting, high heart rate and respiration, low blood pressure, alterations in LOC. (level of consciousness)
First tier of two tier approach to preventing transmission?
Standard precaution, to be used with all patients.
Handwashing, PPE, respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, sharps containers.
Second tier of two tier approach to preventing transmission?
Use with patients with low or suspected of being infected or colonized with infectious agents. Airborne, droplet, contact.
Airborne precautions? Used for?
Transmission via exhalation and/or ventilation systems. Private room, negative pressure, mask or respiratory protection device, N-95 respirator, depending on the condition.
Measles, chickenpox, pulmonary/laryngeal TB, H1N1, etc.
What’s a negative air flow room?
Negative flow means the air is blowing into the room and being filtered either inside the room or before it exits the building. HEPA filter.
Droplet precautions?
Spread via moist droplets. Transmission via coughing, sneezing, touching contaminated objects. Private room or cohort patients, mask or respirator, gowns. Can wear surgical masks
Contact precautions
Spread by direct and indirect with patient and their environment. Draingage wounds ,secretions, supplies. Private room, cohort patients, gown and gloves, disposal of contaminated items in a room, dedicated equipment. Everything in the room is considered contaminated.
Protective/reverse isolation
Protects the client from organisms. Used with immune-compromised. Private rooms most likely, nurse with active infection not assigned. Mask, hand washing, clean/sterile gown, gloves. Do not reuse gowns and gloves.
Nosocomial/health care associated infections?
High health care costs. Leading cause of death. Preventable. Majority of organisms causing them are found in colonized body substances.
Iatrogenic
Caused by an invasive procedure or treatment, including medication
MRSA and healthcare associated MRSA (HA-MRSA)?
Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. Resistant to beta-lactim antibiotics (penicillins). Prevalent in healthcare facilities and those with weakened immune systems. Often mistaken for bug bites or pneumonia.
Community-assocaited MRSA/ CA-MRSA?
intact immune systems
Main mode of MRSA transmission?
Hands and contact with contaminated objects or skin-to-skin. Standard precaution but implement contact for active infections
VRE infection?
Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus. Intestinal in origin. Infects blood, urine, wounds. Significant threat to high risk clients. Transmitted on hands, clothing, scopes, countertops, door handles, curtains, etc. Contact isolation
C. Diff? Clinical maifestations?
Clostridium difficile. Gram-positive anaerobic bacillus. Watery diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain/tenderness. Contact precautions. Isolation rooms. Dedicated equipment.
Who’s most susceptible to c. diff? Transmission?
Those on a prolonged use of antibiotics, the elderly. Transmitted via HANDS, mouth-mucous membrane, any contaminated surface
Assessment of infections? Lab data?
Check for intactness of first lines of defense. Local and systemic symptoms. Specific symptoms.
Lab: WBC 5,000-10,000 per microliter of blood. ESR- presence of inflammation. Culture reports
REDA and COCA?
Redness, edema, approximation (how well the wound is closed)
Color, odor, consistency, amount when assessing drainage
Difference between medical and surgical asepsis?
Medical uses barrier equipment to prevent transmission from infected patient to self to other patients.
Sterile uses equipment to prevent transmission from self and environment to patient.
