Intro To Health Protection Flashcards
What is health protection?
Part of public health that protects population from infection and environmental hazards
What’s in the epidemiological triad?
Agent
Host
Environment
What’s in the chain of infection?
Infectious agent - agent
Reservoir - agent normally lives + multiplies
Portal of exit - how agent leaves reservoir
Mode of transmission - how agent moves to host
Portal of entry - how agent enters new host
Susceptible host
Breaking chain - infectious agent
Antimicrobial
Breaking the chain - reservoir
Medical treatment
Eradication
Clean water
Breaking the chain - portal of exit:
Covering mouth when coughing
Breaking the chain - mode of transmission:
Isolation
Sterilisation
Cleaning
Breaking the chain - portal of entry:
Insect repellent
Protective clothing
Gloves
Breaking the chain - susceptible host:
Immunisation
Good nutrition
What’s an outbreak?
Two or more people with similar illness and linked by common factor
OR
Observed number of cases exceed expected number for given place and time
How do you manage an outbreak?
Confirmation of outbreak
Control measures
Identify source
Surveillance
What are notifiable diseases?
Diseases that must be notified to health board if medical practitioner has a reasonable suspicion
Should not wait until laboratory confirmation
Who do you notify notifiable diseases to?
Consultant of public health - Scotland
Proper Officer of local authority - England
In what time frame should notifiable diseases be notified?
Within 3 days of suspicion
Phone with urgent cases
Why do you notify notifiable diseases?
To give early warning of potential threats to human health
Minimise spread
