Infectious Diseases

Question 1

Methods of communicable disease transmission

Answer 1

Direct contact (by touching)
Indirect contact (contaminated objects)
Vectorborne (transmitted via intermediate carrier or reservoir I.E insect)
Airborne (light enough to float in air for a period of time)
Droplet (expulsion via respiratory droplets)

Question 2

Types of pathogenic organisms

Answer 2

Bacteria
Virus
Fungi
Parasites (protozoan & helminths)

Question 3

Virulence

Answer 3

Ability of an organism to invade and create disease in a host. Encompasses organisms ability to survive outside a living host.

Question 4

Host resistance

Answer 4

Ability to fight off an infection (immune system response)

Question 5

Incubation period

Answer 5

The time between initial exposure to the organism and the onset of the first symptoms

Question 6

Communicable period

Answer 6

The period during which a person can transmit the illness to someone else. May occur during incubation period.

Question 7

Reservoir

Answer 7

A place where organisms may live and multiply.

Question 8

Routine practices

Answer 8

Body substance isolation
Hand hygiene
PPE
Sharps safety
Pt accommodation & transport
Routine equipment cleaning 
Routine vehicle cleaning & disinfecting

Question 9

Septic shock

Answer 9

Defined as presence of sepsis syndrome (SIRS) plus systolic BP less than 90 or a decrease in baseline BP of more than 40 mmHg

Question 10

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome

Answer 10

SIRS + infection = sepsis. 
Inflammatory response manifested by 2 or more of the following findings:
Temp > 38 or < 36
HR > 90bpm
RR > 20 or PCO2 < 32mmHg
WBC count > 12,000/mcL or < 4,000/mcL

Question 11

Use of submicron particulate respiratory masks (N95)

Answer 11

Use with:
Febrile pt with unknown cause
Coughing pt
Pt with droplet or airborne communicable disease
Blood or body fluid splash is likely
Aerosolization procedures
Cleaning vehicle after pt transport with droplet or airborne communicable disease
Cleaning gross amounts of blood/body fluid

Question 12

Use of gloves

Answer 12

Pt is febrile without known source
Possibility of blood/body fluid contact
Contact with mucous membranes or nonintact skin
Nonintact skin on hands
Invasive procedures
Treating a pt with droplet, contact, airborne communicable disease
Cleaning equipment following transport

Question 13

Measles

Answer 13

Highly communicable droplet / airbornevirus. Incubation of 10 days. Fever between 7-18 days. Communicable when first set of symptoms appear.
Fever, conjunctivitis, coughing, blotchy red rash, whitish grey spots in mouth.

Question 14

Rubella

Answer 14

German Measles. Droplet spread. Viral. Incubation 14-23 days. Communicable a week before rash appears until about 4 days after rash appears.
Fever, runny nose, headache, swollen lymph glands, diffuse rash. Can cause abnormalities in fetus if pt is 3-4 months pregnant

Question 15

Mumps

Answer 15

Droplet or contact spread. Incubation 12-26 days. Communicable 9 days after salivary glands swell.
Fever, swelling and tenderness of salivary glands.

Question 16

Varicella

Answer 16

Chicken pox. Viral. Droplet or contact spread. Incubation 10-21 days. Communicable 1-2 days prior to rash and 5 days after rash apparent.
Fever, photosensitivity, vesicular rash that crust over with scabs.

Question 17

Pertussis

Answer 17

Whooping cough or known as ‘100 day cough.’ Bacterial infection. Incubation 7-14 days. Communicable in early stages and becomes negligible after 3 weeks.
Irritating cough that becomes paroxysmal in 1-2 weeks. Can last 1-2 months.

Question 18

Meningitis

Answer 18

Inflammation of meninges due to virus or bacteria. Variable incubation and communicable periods. Transmission from contact of nasopharyngeal secretions.
Sudden onset fever, severe headache, stiff neck, photosensitivity, pink rash that becomes purple.

Question 19

Tuberculosis

Answer 19

Not highly communicable unless in active phase. Droplet spread. Incubation 4-12 weeks.
Persistent cough for more than 3 weeks plus 1 of the following: night sweats, headache, weight loss, hemoptysis, or chest pain.

Question 20

Ambulance cleaning and disinfecting

Answer 20

Critical equipment: items that coming in contact with mucous membranes laryngoscope blade, ET tube. Use chemical sterilants.
Semicritical: items in contact with skin. Stethoscope, BP cuff, splints. Clean with solutions that kill HBV (bleach and water 1:1000 dilution)
Noncritical: surfaces, floors, seats. Hospital grade cleaner or bleach and water mixture.
Stretcher: germicidal/virucidal solution or bleach and water 1:100 or hydrogen peroxide wipe