infection prevention and control Flashcards
what is the prevalence and problem with HCAI?
costs the NHS round £900 million per annum
relative risk of death is 7.12
around £3000 extra per HCAI
estimated 5000 deaths per year from HCAI
what is the chain of infection?
a pathogenic organism with sufficient virulence and numbers to cause illness, goes into a reservoir or source that allows it to survive and multiply. There is a mode of exit from the source and then transmission into the host. There must be a portal for entry into the host and then infects the susceptible, non immunised host
what is infection prevention and control?
activities undertaken with the aim of breaking the chain of infection
what are the steps in infection prevention and control?
eliminate the pathogenic organism, remove source or reservoir, minimise transmission, eliminate entry and exit and reduce susceptibility to infection
how can we eliminate pathogenic organisms?
environmental cleaning and decontamination through H2O2 room decontamination, spillage management and laundry, equipment decontamination through disinfection and sterilisation, antisepsis and antibiotic prophylaxis
what are two cases when antibiotic prophylaxis may be given?
post exposure and peri-operative
what are two examples of antisepsis?
MRSA decolonisation and surgical skin prep
how can the source or reservoir be removed?
through hand hygiene and environmental cleaning and decontamination
how can transmission be minimised?
hand hygiene, PPE, equipment decontamination, single use disposable equipment, source and protective isolation, semmelweis
what is included in PPE?
personal protective equipment:
aprons
gloves
masks
what equipment should always be decontaminated?
surgical instruments, stethoscopes, blood pressure monitors, USS probes
what is an example of single use disposable equiopment?
needles and syringes
what is semmelweis?
using the antiseptic procedure
when are the five times you wash hands?
before patient contact, before aseptic task, after bodily fluid exposure risk, after patient contact and after exposure and contact to patient surroundings
what is the issue with hand hygiene?
they contain resistant bacteria that are deep seated and difficult to remove
what is hand hygiene particularly useful against?
transient bacteria
what are transient bacteria?
they are bacteria (also found on hands) that are easily picked up and transferred and easily removed. They are a major cause of HCAI due to this.
what is the role of resident bacteria and when are they moved?
to protect us from colonisation of harmful bacteria - removed in aseptic procedures
why are aseptic procedures performed?
to reduce the risk of contamination when inserting invasive devices or performing surgery
when is soap and water used to clean hands?
when the hands are visibly soiled, for certain infections and contact with such as gastroenteritis and C difficile, and on entry and exit from any ward
when is alcohol gel used?
when hands are not visibly dirty or when doing a non direct contact activity
what is decontamination?
it is a combination of processes that removes or destroys contamination so that infectious agents or other contaminants cannot reach a susceptible sits in sufficient quantities to initiate infection or other harmful response
how many decontamination methods are there?
there a many - which one to use depends on the individual situation
what is sterilisation?
it is the complete killing or removal of all types of microorganisms