Introduction to Health Protection Flashcards
What diagram highlights the principles of disease transmission and what are these principles?
The Epidemiological Triad
3 factors required to cause disease;
- Host - The potentially susceptible individual
- Agent - The organism that causes the infection (e.g - Bacteria)
- Environment - The external factors that affect potential disease transmission
What is the definition of a sporadic outbreak?
Sporadic — occasional cases occurring irregularly
(i.e Malaria in UK, odd case coming back from someone being abroad, we don’t have the conditions for it to keep transmitting onwards)
What is the definition of an endemic outbreak?
Endemic — persistent background level of
occurrence (low to moderate levels)
(i.e malaria in sub-Saharan Africa has the conditions to be passed on, background levels, always cases in background)
What is the definition of an epidemic outbreak?
Epidemic — occurrence in excess of the expected
level during a given time period
(i.e - Flu epidemic due to vaccination not matching flu stream that has came through)
What is the definition of a pandemic outbreak?
Pandemic— epidemic occurring in or spreading
over several countries
(i.e - Ebola)
What is the concept of the chain of infection?
The chain of infection represents all of the factors we need for infection to occurred continue to transmit
If we break one of the 6 links in the chain we prevent transmission of infection
Six different links:
- Pathogen/infectious agent (disease causing organism - e.g bacteria)
- Reservoir - (where infectious agent normally lives)
- Portal of exit - (the means by which the infectious agent leaves - e.g vomiting, sneezing , etc)
- Mode of transmission - How the infectious agent moves to the susceptible host
- Portal of entry - place where the infectious agent enters new host
- Susceptible host - person who is at risk of infection
What is the definition of an outbreak
Definition of an outbreak;
• Two or more people who experience a similar
illness or confirmed infection and are linked by
a common factor
Or
• When the observed number of cases
unaccountably exceeds the expected number
for a given place and time
What is your responsibility as a medical practitioner after identifying infectious diseases?
Medical practitioners must notify certain infectious diseases and disease states
• All registered medical practitioners must
notify their health board if they have a reasonable suspicion that a patient whom they are attending has a notifiable disease.
• Practitioners should not wait until laboratory
confirmation of the suspected disease before
notification.
What is health protection?
The part of the public health that protects the population from infection and environmental hazards
Give some facilitating factors under the epidemiological triad principles?
HOST;
- age (babies and elderly)
- genetic susceptibility
- nutrition
- immune status (diabetes, steroids, cancer - all cause weakened immune response)
AGENT;
- virulence
- infectiousness (how infectious something is)
- infective dose (how many of the particular organisms need to infect for you to become unwell)
- drug resistance
ENVIRONMENT
- climate
- poor sanitation
- overcrowding
- reservoirs of infection
Give some control measures that can stop disease under the epidemiological triad principles?
Control measure examples;
HOST; • Immunisation • Prophylactic treatment (I.e taking anti-malaria tablets if going to that area that has malaria) • Good nutrition & general health
AGENT; • Treat cases • Isolate cases • Good prescribing practice (to prevent antibiotic resistance)
ENVIRONMENT; • Barriers (e.g. PPE, bed nets, condoms) • Hygiene measures (e.g. handwashing, reduce overcrowding, food safety, sanitation, water treatment, vector control
How can times like the 1990’s lead to outbreaks of diseases?
Hosts changed and became immunosuppressed;
When have a HIV condition become immunosuppressed which causes TB rates to increase
Give examples of how each chain can be broken?
Breaking the chain;
- Infectious agent - antimicrobial
stewardship
- Reservoir - medical treatment of infected persons (including asymptomatic carriers), insect or rodent eradication, animal welfare (e.g. poultry vaccination), environmental sanitation, clean water (e.g. chlorination of drinking water), pasteurisation of milk
- Portal of exit - covering mouth when
sneezing, surgical masks,
covering wounds, condoms - Mode of transmission - isolation of infectious persons, sterilisation of surgical
equipment, airflow control in operating theatres,
handwashing, cleaning of surfaces, food safety practices, safe
sex advice
- Portal of entry - bed nets, insect repellent, protective clothing (e.g. long trousers for ticks), surgical masks & gloves, safe sharps disposal, aseptic technique for cannulation, wound care, catheter care
- Susceptible host - immunisation, good
nutrition, recognise high risk patients, treatment of
underlying disease
Who should you notify about infectious diseases in Scotland?
Consultant in Public Health
How do you notify infectious diseases?
- Electronically via SCI (Scottish Care Information) Gateway
- Paper based option also available
• Notify within 3 days of suspicion BUT PHONE WITH URGENT CASES (and follow up in writing)
