Infection Prevention and Control FInal Flashcards
What are standard (routine) practice?
Procedures applies consistently to all patients because there is no way of telling who is infectious and who is not, so assume all patients to be infectious
Who should use routine practices?
All health care workers to protect themselves, patients, and visitors
When should you use routine practices?
Whenever you expect to have contact with
- blood
- any body fluid including secretions and excretions (except sweat)
- mucous membranes
- non-intact skin
Fluids included in routine practice precautions?
- blood and blood products
- vaginal secretions
- breast milk
- semen
- saliva
- tears
- sputum
- vomitus
- feces
- spinal fluid
- synovial fluid
- pleural fluid
- peritoneal fluid
- pericardial fluid
- amniotic fluid
- nasal secretions
- urine
Fluids not included in routine practice?
-sweat/perspiration
Guidelines for routine practice include recommendations for?
- handwashing
- gloves
- mask and eye protection
- gowns
- patient care equipment
- environmental control
- linen
- occupational health and blood borne pathogens
- patient placement
PPE
- gloves
- gown
- mask
- eye protection
When do we wear gloves?
- touching blood/bodily fluids/secretions/excretions
- touching/cleaning contaminated items
- performing invasive procedures (phlebotomy, IV)
- performing test procedures
- handling patient specimens
- touching mucous membranes and non intact skin
When to remove gloves and wash
- after use
- before next patient
- when soiled or damages
- when touching non contaminates items and environmental surfaces (phones/keyboards)
What kind of gloves are used due to latex allergies?
Vinyl
What can contact dermatitis be caused by?
Allergy to latex, powder, chemicals, or other non relates causes
How to prevent contact dermatitis?
- take action before out of control
- barrier cream on hands
- cotton liners, gloves without powder
- different type of latex
- vinyl gloves
When to wear masks?
If danger of aerosols or splashes of infectious material
Types of masks?
- procedure
- surgical
- HEPA
- N95 respirator
- Airline (external air source)
Which masks are most common?
- surgical/procedure
- N95 (for airborne)
When to wear a gown?
- if danger of contamination with infected material
- to prevent transfer of microbes between patients
When to wear goggles?
-danger of splashes of infectious material on mucous membranes of eye/nose/mouth
***wear a gown if patient has MRSA
.
Donning PPE
- hand hygiene
- gown
- mask
- eye protection
- gloves
Doffing PPE
- gloves
- gown
- hand hygiene
- eye protection
- mask
- hand hygiene
When to wash hands?
- when hands contact blood or body fluids
- when hands contact contaminated equipment
- before and after removing gloves
- after a tear or suspected leak
- before leaving work area
- between patients
- after bathroom
- after blowing nose
- before eating and drinking
- at end of work shift
Soaps for handwashing?
- non-antibacterial: reduces surface tension (allows bacteria to be washed away), used for routine hand washing
- antibacterial: reduces surface tension and kills some microbes, critical care units, emergency/OR/delivery/medication rooms, where surgical and diagnostic testing performed, burn/dialysis/transplant units, after contact with patients with antibiotic resistant bacteria
Alcohol hand cleaner (ABHR)
- 70% ethanol/isopropyl best
1. Dispense about 5ml into palm
2. Rub finger nails, pour into other pals, rub nails
3. Rub finger/palms/back of hands
4. Air dry
How to prevent sharps injury when handling needles?
- activate safety device
- discard immediately after use
- do no recap
- use puncture resistant container, discard when 3/4 full
How to clean up sharp objects?
Uncontaminated broken glass: broom/dust pan/wet paper towel, broken glass discard
Contaminated broken glass: decontaminate 10 mins before cleaning up, biohazard broken glass discard
How to clean up blood/body fluids in patient care and client areas?
- can use incintinent pads/absorbent wipes/paper towels
- larger spills: wear PPE, contain spill then sweep or scoop and put in plastic lines biohazard container, decontaminate with disinfectant (1/100 fresh bleach) for 10 mins, clean up
- moderate spills: wear PPE, wipe with paper towel, put in biohazard container, decontaminate with disinfectant for 10 min, clean up
- small spills: gloves, if dried moisten first, wipe with disinfectant soaked paper towel or disinfectant wipe, put in biohazard container
How to clean up lab specimen spills?
- wear PPE, gloves as minimum
- decontaminate with disinfection (1/10 FRESH BLEACH), clean up with paper towel, put in biohazard container
- decontaminate surface with disinfectant for 10 mins
- clean up
Biohazard waste
- anything contaminated with blood or body fluids
- do not discard in regular garbage
- place in container with biohazard symbol
Laundry (linen)
- place in leak proof bags if wet
- handle carefully, regular laundry
Collecting and transporting lab specimens?
- wear PPE
- avoid contaminating collection container and requisition
- store in sealed container
What is a significant occupational exposure to blood and bodily fluids?
- skin in pierced by a contaminated needle or shard object
- blood or bodily fluid splashed onto mucous membrane
- blood or body fluid on non intact skin
- human bite
Protocol for a significant occupational exposure to bloods/body fluids?
- first aid as required
- allow (encourage bleeding)
- wash with soap/antiseptic and water
- bandage if necessary
- flush mucosal surfaces with lots of water
- report incident immediately to supervisor - occupational health - emergency department
Why do we have added precautions (transmission based isolation procedures)?
To minimize the spread of infection in the health care setting
- separate patients with transmissible infections
- protect immunocompromised patients
Who makes the decision about isolation?
-physician and infection control and prevention practitioners
What procedures must you follow if youre going to perform a procedure on an isolated patient?
- routine practice protocols
- and posted precautions (added precautions)
Types of rooms for isolation?
- Negative pressure: air flows into room from hallway, keeps microorganisms from leaving and spreading into hallways (TB), rooms have hepa filtration system to remove microorganisms from room air, keep door closed, TO PROTECT OTHERS
- Positive pressure: air is allowed to flow from the room into the hallway, protect immunosuppressed patients from outside microorganisms, TO PROTECT PATIENT
Protective environment (formerly reverse isolation)
- burn units, immunosuppressed patients, transplant patients
- usually includes: private room, hand washing especially before entering room, gloves, gown
- contaminated articles not brought into room
Disposal of items from an isolation foom
- have dedicated equipment for patient
- leave in room: thermometer, blood pressure cuff, blood collection, exercise and other therapeutic equipment
- equipment that must be removed is bagged for discard or bagged and transported to cleaning area before reuse
- serving food trays: gloves only, non disposable dishes bagged for transport to clean up area
Transporting patient out of isolation
- avoid if possible
- surgical mask on patient of airborne or droplet precaution
- if contact isolation: cover draining areas
- protect wheelchair with sheet
- receiving department must be notified
What is sterilization?
Destroys ALL FORMS of microbial life. Either sterile or not, no degree of sterility
What is disinfection?
Destroys pathogens, other microbes and spores may survive, several levels, usually chemical