Infection Prevention and Control

Question 1

What is the other name for healthcare-associated infection (HAI)?

Answer 1

Nosocomial infection

Question 2

What are the most common pathogens to cause HAIs?

Answer 2

Staphylococcus aureus, pseudomonas aeruginosa, and e-coli

Question 3

Define infection

Answer 3

the invasion and multiplication of a pathogen in or on our body tissues causing clinical manifestations

Question 4

Define pathogen

Answer 4

an organism capable of causing an infection (bacteria, fungi, virus, parasite) –not all organisms are pathogens

Question 5

Define localized

Answer 5

limited to a specific part of the body and has local symptoms (ex. heat, swelling, pain, etc.)

Question 6

Define systemic

Answer 6

affects more than one area of the body, rather than a single organ or body part (ex. cold, flu, strep throat, etc.)

Question 7

What is the difference between resident and transient flora?

Answer 7

resident flora is permanently attached to the skin of the person, and transient flora is attached until another person or object comes in contact and then it will transfer to the other person/thing

Question 8

What is an endogenous infection?

Answer 8

an infection that occurs when a client’s normal flora becomes altered, and overgrowth of that harmful organism occurs (ex. yeast infection)

Question 9

What is an exogenous infection?

Answer 9

an infection that arises from microorganisms external to the individual (the opposite of endogenous infections)

Question 10

What are the 6 links in the chain of infection?

Answer 10

1. Infectious agent– can cause the infection
2. reservoir– a place for the microorganism to survive and possibly multiply
3. portal of exit– the path for the microorganism to exit the reservoir
4. means of transmission– how it travels (droplet, contact, etc.)
5. portal of entry– how to enter person (same as portal of exit)
6. susceptible host– anyone who is not immune

Question 11

Define “communicable disease”

Answer 11

an infection that can be transmitted between people

Question 12

What does disease causing ability depend on?

Answer 12

-number of organisms
-virulence (ability to produce disease)
-ability to enter and survive in host

Question 13

Define asepsis

Answer 13

asepsis is the absense of pathogens and can be achieved through the use of aseptic technique– medical asepsis is considered clean technique and surgical asepsis is considered sterile technique

Question 14

To perform a PCRA (point of care risk assessment) you must consider infection transmission risk for:

Answer 14

interaction/task, environment, person receiving care, and health care worker

Question 15

Define pathogenicity

Answer 15

the ability of the microorganism to cause disease

Question 16

Define superinfection

Answer 16

when the body’s defenses are decreased by a broad-spectrum antibiotic and disease-producing organisms multiply

Question 17

What are the stages of infection?

Answer 17

Incubation period– when the pathogen first enters the body (days or years)
Prodromal stage– interval between the first nonspecific symptoms and more specific symptoms
Illness stage– when the patient has symptoms specific to that infection
Convalescence– interval when the acute symptoms decrease, and the body works to return to homeostasis

Question 18

What characteristics make a person more susceptible to disease

Answer 18

age, nutritional status, stress, disease process, medical therapy

Question 19

When is an alcohol-based hand rub (sanitizer) not used?

Answer 19

when the hands are visibly soiled or the client has c-diff

Question 20

What are the 4 moments of hand hygiene that are required of all HCWs?

Answer 20

1. before initial patient environment contact
2. before aseptic/clean procedures
3. after body fluid exposure risk
4. after patient environment contact

Question 21

What is the difference between medical gloves and sterile gloves?

Answer 21

medical gloves are considered clean like freshly washed hands, and sterile gloves must be used during sterile technique– most of the time we will be using medical gloves

Question 22

What is the purpose of a mitered corner?

Answer 22

to keep the bed linens in place with client movement (and a toe pleat is for providing room for foot movement)

Question 23

What are the 5 means of transmission?

Answer 23

1. contact (direct or indirect)
2. droplet
3. airborne
4. common vehicle
5. vectorborne

Question 24

What is a vector?

Answer 24

living organisms that can transmit infectious diseases between humans or from animals to humans– the most common is the mosquito

Question 25

What are AROs?

Answer 25

antibiotic resistant organisms (ARO)– they happen when pathogens mutate and thus gain the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them

Question 26

What are the most common AROs?

Answer 26

C. diff, MRSA, and VRE

Question 27

Explain the proper PPE donning procedure

Answer 27

first wash your hands and then put on the gown (tying the neck first and then the back), put on the mask, put on the goggles, and finally the gloves (over the sleeve of the gown)

Question 28

Explain the proper PPE doffing procedure

Answer 28

stay in the room and take of the gloves (wash hands), take of the gown starting at the neck and then the back (wash hands) and leave the room. Outside the room you should wash your hands and take of the goggles (wash hands) and mask (wash hands).

Question 29

What determine the type of PPE used?

Answer 29

probability of exposure, amount of blood or body fluid expected to be exposed to, and probable route of transmission

Question 30

What does tier 1 precautions refer to?

Answer 30

routine practices– used to minimize the spread of infection between people, so you need to treat each client as potentially having an infectious agent that can be transmitted

Question 31

What does tier 2 precautions refer to?

Answer 31

additional precautions– the routine practices along with the extra precautions required of their type of infection (contact, droplet, airborne), also called isolation precautions