Lab 4 - Handwashing Flashcards
as we touch things, do microbes get transferred to our hands?
yes
what are portals of entry?
they are entryways for pathogens.
It is when microbes may get inside our bodies when we touch our hands.
what are examples of portals of entry?
-Compromised skin (cuts, burns, surgical wounds).
-Nose, eyes, and mouth (can enter respiratory or GI tract)
T/F: hands containing pathogens may also contaminate food/beverages, which if ingested may cause infection.
What is an example?
True; example: Staphylococcal Food Intoxication (SFI)
what is SFI?
-Staphylococcus aureus is a part of the normal microflora of the skin and nasal passages of some people and can be also found in skin boils.
-If we touch our nose/boils, and then touch our food, we may transfer S. aureus on food.
-S. aureus may release enterotoxins on the food, leading to SFI on ingestion of the food.
what are enterotoxins?
toxins attacking intestines
can proper handwashing prevent infections?
yes
define the term nosocomial infection; what is the connection between nosocomial infections and handwashing? what is an example or common type of nosocomial infection?
-definition: infections that are acquired during a hospital stay.
-nosocomial infections are much more likely to result in death than infections acquired outside of the hospital because of the high virulence (ability to cause disease) of the pathogens involved AND the vulnerability of the patients in the hospital.
-handwashing is an important strategy to reduce the risk of transmitting dangerous nosocomial pathogens.
-common nosocomial infection: UTIs
handwashing is especially important in hospitals to prevent what? and why is it important?
HAIs or nosocomial infections.
It is important because:
-infected patients can be a source of hard-to-treat deadly pathogens
-other patients are often immunocompromised
-if healthcare workers do not wash hands between infected and immunocompromised patients, serious illness or death could occur
handwashing reduces the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by what %?
23-40%
handwashing reduces diarrheal illness in people with weakened immune systems by what %?
58%
handwashing reduces respiratory illnesses, like colds, in the general population by what %?
16-21%
handwashing reduces absenteeism due to GI illness in schoolchildren by what %?
29-57%
T/F: About 1.8 million children under the age of 5 die each year from diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, the top two killers of young children around the world
True
define sterilization
kills all vegetative (living and growing) cells, viruses, and endospores
