Infection Prevention & Control Flashcards
Ways to describe infections?
- Inherent or contagious
- Localized or systemic
- Primary or secondary
- Exogenous or endogenous
Infection
When a pathogen invades tissues and begins multiplying within a host
Define colonization
Presence and multiplication of microorganisms within a host but without tissue invasion or damage
Define communicable disease
That which can be transmitted from one individual to another
Define Symptomatic
When pathogens multiply and cause signs and symptoms of disease
Asymptomatic infection
When pathogens multiply but no clinical signs and symptoms are present
Define Virulence
Ability to produce disease
What are the 5 moments for hand hygiene
1 before touching a patient
2 before clean/aseptic procedure
3 after body fluid exposure risk
4 after touching a patient
5 after touching patient surroundings
What are the natural defense mechanisms against infection
Skin, mouth, eyes, respiratory tract, urinary tract, GI tract, and vagina
What is the chain of infection ? Hint:6
1 infection agent
2 reservoir
3 portal of exit
4 means of transmission
5 portal of entry
6 susceptible host
Examples of Infection agent or pathogen
Bacteria, fungi, viruses, rickettsiae, and Protozoa, helminths, and prions
Ex of Reservoirs
People, hospital equipment, water, animals, food, insects/arthropods, soiled or wet dressing, inanimate objects
Reservoir
Place where microorganisms survive, multiply, and await transfer to a susceptible host
Portal of exits
Excretions, secretions, skin, droplets
Means of transmission
Direct contact, ingestion, fomites, airborne
Direct contact
Person to person (fecal, oral) physical contact between source and susceptible host
Indirect contact/fomite
Personal contact of susceptible host with contaminated inanimate object
Ex~ needles or sharp objects, dressings, environment
Droplet
Large particles that travel up to 3ft during coughing, sneezing, or talking and come in contact with susceptible host
Airborne
Droplet nuclei or residue or evaporated suspended in the air during coughing or sneezing or carried on dust particles
Portal of entry
Mucous membranes, GI tract, GU tract, respiratory tract, or broken skin
Susceptible host
Immunosuppression, diabetes, surgery,burns,elderly, indwelling devices, skin/mucous membranes breaks, poor oxygenation, impaired circulation
Portal of exit~respiratory
Septum, cough,sneeze
Portal of exit~GU
Reproductive secretions, urine
Portal of exit~GI
Saliva, emesis, blood and fece,
Portal of exit~Venous system
Blood
Portal of exit~mucous membranes & intact skin
Draining wounds
Vector (means of transmission)
Insect transmission
Indirect contact High touch areas
Gowns, bed linen, bedside furniture
Handles, IV poles, BP machines, pulse ox, stethoscopes, accudata machines
Bleach wipes require how long to clean to kill pathogens
3 mins
How long does it take hydrogen peroxide to kill pathogens
1 min
Portal of entry
GI-GU tract, mucous membranes, skin integrity disruption, respiratory tract, eyes
Inherent infection
Lives in our body
Localized infection
Ex: mosquito bite
Wound infection, a patient will experience localized symptoms such as pain, tenderness, warmth, redness at the wound site
Systemic infection
An infection that affects the entire body instead of just a single organ. Can be fatal if undetected and untreated
Primary infection
Original source
Secondary infection
Ex:sepsis
An infection that occurs during or after treatment for another infection
Exogenous infection
Comes from microorganisms found outside the individual
Ex: salmonella, Clostridium tetani, & Aspergillus
Endogenous infection
Occurs when part of the patients flora becomes altered and an overgrowth results
Ex: staphylococci, enterococci, yeasts, & streptococci
A nurse has an open abrasion on the skin. This is a concern during patient care because the open abrasion could represent which of the following elements in the chain of infection? (Two possible answers)
a. Etiological Agent
b. Reservoir
c. Portal of Exit
d. Method of Transmission
e. Portal of Entry
f. Susceptible Host
Portal of Exit & Portal of Entry
The nurse disposes of a butterfly needle and tubing used to draw blood. The butterfly needle, if not properly disposed of, could represent which element in the chain of infection?
a. Etiological Agent
b. Reservoir
c. Portal of Exit
d. Method of Transmission
e. Portal of Entry
f. Susceptible Host
Method of transmission
The patient coughs without covering their mouth. The mouth serves as which element in the chain of infection?
a. Etiological Agent
b. Reservoir
c. Portal of Exit
d. Method of Transmission
e. Portal of Entry
f. Susceptible Host
Portal of Exit
An IV is inserted without cleaning the skin properly before insertion. The needle serves as which element in the chain of infection?
a. Etiological Agent
b. Reservoir
c. Portal of Exit
d. Method of Transmission
e. Portal of Entry
f. Susceptible Host
Portal of Entry
The nurse does not clean their stethoscope between patients. The stethoscope represents which element in the chain of infection?
a. Etiological Agent
b. Reservoir
c. Portal of Exit
d. Method of Transmission
e. Portal of Entry
f. Susceptible Host
Method of transmission
- Fresh flowers or plants brought into the patient room. These flowers/plants represent which element in the chain of infection? (2 correct answers)
a. Etiological Agent
b. Reservoir
c. Portal of Exit
d. Method of Transmission
e. Portal of Entry
f. Susceptible Host
Reservoir & Method of transmission
The nurse fails to wear appropriate tier 2 PPE for a patient isolated for pertussis. The nurse’s scrubs are exposed to the pertussis patient. The scrubs serve as which element in the chain of infection?
a. Etiological Agent
b. Reservoir
c. Portal of Exit
d. Method of Transmission
e. Portal of Entry
f. Susceptible Host
Method of transmisson
Migrant workers eat unwashed fruit directly from the field. The fruit serves as which element in the chain of infection?
a. Etiological Agent
b. Reservoir
c. Portal of Exit
d. Method of Transmission
e. Portal of Entry
f. Susceptible Host
Reservoir
A patient is diagnosed with COVID-19 and subsequently admitted to the hospital. COVID-19 represents which element in the chain of infection?
a. Etiological Agent
b. Reservoir
c. Portal of Exit
d. Method of Transmission
e. Portal of Entry
f. Susceptible Host
Etiological Agent
- A patient has a head laceration that is open to air (it is not covered with a dressing). The laceration (open to air) represents which element in the chain of infection? (Hint: the wound is somewhat fresh and does not show signs of infection.)
a. Etiological Agent
b. Reservoir
c. Portal of Exit
d. Method of Transmission
e. Portal of Entry
f. Susceptible Host
Portal of Entry
Contact
Precautions
exmples
MDRO (Acinetobacter,
Pseudomonas, ESBLs, CREs,
etc.), VRE, RSV,
Shingles (limited area of body),
Rotavirus, Lice, Scabies,
Wounds w/no dressing or
containment of drainage
Special
Contact
Precautions
Clostridium difficile or
Diarrhea on admission
Droplet
Precautions
Influenza (FLU),
Pertussis, Bacterial
Meningitis
Airborne
(Negative Air)
Precautions
examples
TB (Tuberculosis),
Varicella (Chicken Pox),
Measles (rubeola),
Disseminated Shingles
(widespread or
immunocompromised patient)
Special Respiratory precautions -Droplet
COVID-19
no aerosol generating procedures
Special Respiratory precautions- Airborne
COVID-19
Aerosol generating procedures
