Infection Prevention & Control Flashcards
What is infection?
Infection is a pathogen that invades the body and causes signs/symptoms
What is colonization?
This is when the pathogen/micro lives in the body, but does not cause any symptoms
Example: when someone comes in contact with mono, it can live in a dormant state in their body
A healthcare acquired infection (HAI)
Infections that occur inside the hospital
-As nurses we must try to prevent this
-It increases the length of stay
-It increases healthcare cost
Communicable disease
This is something that can be passed to one another (Covid, flu, hepatitis)
These diseases must be reported for public health safety
What are factors that affect the spread of infection
Susceptibility: how likely someone is to catch it an illness
Drug resistance: micro organisms have evolved and have made themselves more resistant against medication’s (penicillin, resistant)
Immunosuppression: someone who is on chemo, auto immune disease, which are more likely to get sick
What increases risk for infection?
- Increased exposure to pathogens:
Hospitals
-Invasive procedures: anything that has an open wound is at risk if the procedures we’re not done correctly, lack of sanitation (ex: Foley, catheter, IV, outpatient surgery)
Some examples of micro organisms include
Bacteria: which can be killed
Viruses: which are short-lived, symptoms can be treated, if necessary, antiviral medication could be provided
Fungi
Protozoa
Modes of transmission
Direct contact: touching
Indirect contact: surfaces
Droplet: sneezing, coughing, germs can spread up to 6 feet
Airborne: coughing, sneezing (germs that stay in the air from minutes to hours)
Vehicles: contaminated objects (water, blood, food)
Vectors: living organisms that can cause diseases(mosquitoes, text, raccoons)
What is the difference between local and systemic infection?
Localized means an infection is housed in one area
Systemic means it has spread throughout the body through the bloodstream
Three defenses against infections are
Normal flora: (good)micro organisms that hang out on the skin
Body systems : circulatory system, immune system, G.I. track(flushes out infections)
Inflammation: it’s the white blood cells that destroy bad pathogens
What are four Hospital acquired infections(HAI)
75% of hospitals acquired infections are caused by catheters—-
Clostridium Difficile (c.diff)
Central line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI)
Catheter associated urinary track infection (CAUTI)
Hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP)
Surgical site infection
Clostridium Difficile (c.diff)
-Is watery diarrhea
-Puts the patient at risk for dehydration
-You must perform hand, hygiene with soap and water
-Services must be cleaned with bleach
Could be associated to antibiotic use
symptoms: foul smell
Central line associated bloodstream infection(CLABSI)
May be related to unsterile insertion or frequent manipulation of
Symptoms: are different. They just depends on the severity.
-Lethargy
-Fever
-Chills
-Altered mental status(AMS)
-Hypertension
The nurse must stop IV and send them in to culture to find root cause
Catheter associated urinary tract infection(CAUTI)
-75% of all hospital acquired infection
-May be related to unsterile insertion, -frequent catheterizations
-Poor peri care
-In proper drainage management
Symptoms: fever, AMS, change in urine color
Hospital acquired pneumonia(HAP)
May be related to altered LLC, aspiration, tracheostomy, PEG tube, post, operative and mobility
Symptoms:
-Fatigue
-Fever
-Chills
-Dyspnea (difficulty to breathe)
-Hypoxia(low o2)
Surgical site infection
May be related to the breach in sterile technique, improper skin, prep, contamination during dressing change
Symptoms: warmth, erythema (redness), perulent drainage(Pus wound), separation of tissue
When patients are at risk for aspiration
9/10 when a patient aspirates, you can hear a change in the right lung
If they are a high risk, give water by cup, not strong
Feeding tube patients
Never have them lay flat keep them above or at lowest 45° when connected to feeding tube
Ensure to turn off feeding tube when we have to provide ADL to patient
Multi-drug-resistant organisms
Two examples:
Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)
How can multi-drug-resistant organisms be prevented?
Stop the overuse of antibiotics
What are factors, influencing infection, prevention and control
Patient immune system
Cleanliness
Literacy levels
Stress
Age
Diabetes
Cultures: differences in immune system
Recognizing cues(assessment)
Through the patient eyes
Risk factors : pts immune system
Clinical appearance: symptoms associated with certain illness
Status of defense mechanisms : is there a break in the skin? Are there G.I. issues?
Travel history: has the patient traveled out of the country possible exposure of foreign diseases
Laboratory data: CBC
Relevant lab data to review
CBC(complete blood count)
> what to look at specifically
Urinalysis
Cultures
Blood
Sputum
Urine
Wound
Procalcitonin: must be less than 0.15
If it’s greater than two it is considered CRITICAL AND PATIENT HAS RISK OF GOING INTO SEPSIS
TNTC
To numerous to count(referring to bacteria)
Symptomatic
If the pathogens multiplying calls, clinical signs and symptoms
Asymptomatic
Clinical signs and symptoms are not present
Chain of infection
Infectious agent, or a pathogen
A reservoir source for pathogen growth
A part of exit from the reservoir
A mode of transmission
A port of entry to host
A susceptible host
Virulence
Ability to produce disease: ability to enter and survive in a host; and the susceptibility of the host
Direct contact
Person a person(fecal oral) physical contact from source in susceptible host
I healthcare providers hands become contaminated by touching germs present on a patient, medical equipment, or high touch services, and a healthcare worker than carries a germs to the hands, and spread to a susceptible person
Indirect contact
Personal contact of susceptible host with contaminated inanimate object(needles, or sharp objects, soiled linen, dressings, environment)
Droplet contact
Infected person cops are sneezes, creating droplets that carry germs short distance(at least 6 feet) these germs can land on a susceptible, persons, eyes, nose, or mouth, and can cause infection
Airborne contact
Organisms are carried in droplet, nuclei or residue or evaporated, droplets suspended in air during coughing or sneezing, germs arm, aerosolized by medical equipment, or by dust from a construction zone
Vehicles
Contaminated items for example, sharp injuries can lead to infections
Water
Drugs, solutions
Blood
Food (improperly handled, stored, or cut; fresh or thawed meat)
Vector
External mechanical transfer(flies)
Internal transmission, such as parasitic conditions between factor and host, such as :
Mosquito, flea, tick
Incubation. Period.
Interval between entrance of pathogen into the body in appearance for symptoms (chickenpox 14 to 16 days after exposure; common cold, one to two days; influence the one to four days; measles 10 to 12 days; months, 16 to 18 days; Ebola to 2-21 days
Prodromal stage
And travel from onset of non-specific signs and symptoms to more specific symptoms. For example herpes, Symplex begins with itching and tingling at the site before lesions appear.
Illness stage
Interval when patient manifests signs and symptoms specific to type of infection. For example, strep throat is manifest by sore throat, pain, and swelling; months is manifested by high fever, and parotid gland, swelling.
Convalescence
Interval, when acute symptoms of infection, disappear
Contact precautions
Contact precaution should be implemented for infections with multi drug resistant organisms, such as Vanco myosin – resistant enterococcus and staphylococcus aureus, C.diff
Droplet precautions
Droplet precautions are implemented for influenza group, a strep, rhinovirus, rubella, mumps
