lecture 2: family & community as context for health and infection prevention & control

Question 1

Vanier institute: definition of family

Answer 1

combination of two or more people bound together overtime by mutual consent, birth/adoption. assume responsibilities for:
- love
- physical maintenance and care
- addition of new members
- primary context for health promotion & disease prevention

Question 2

social changes to family

Answer 2

• aging population
• increasing diversity in races
• transformation to a variety of races/genders

“family is whoever the patient says it is”

Question 3

3 dimensions of a community

Answer 3

1. The people - community residents
2. A place - physical/geographical location
3. A function - aims, interests, and activities of the community

Question 4

What are routine practices?

Answer 4

same safe standards of practice that are used routinely with all
- premise that all clients/residents/patients are potentially infectious

Question 5

Chain of infection

Answer 5

1. infectious agent
2. reservoir
3. portal of exit
4. mode of transmission
5. portal of entry
6. susceptible host

Question 6

infectious agent

Answer 6

microorganisms that can cause disease/infections are called pathogens
ex: bacteria, viruses

Question 7

reservoir

Answer 7

carry the infectious agent
ex: water, food, inanimate surfaces, animals

Question 8

portal of exit

Answer 8

how pathogens leave the body
body openings:
- mouth
- nose
- rectal
- etc.

artificial openings:
- ostomies
- wounds/incisions
- breaks in the mucous membrane (nose, mouth, eyes, vagina, rectum)

vehicles would be: saliva, phlegm, blood, vomit, urine, faces, etc.

Question 9

mode of transmission

Answer 9

how pathogens are transmitted (passed from one to another)
- contact (direct/indirect)
- droplet (breathing/coughing/sneezing)
- airborne
- vehicle (indirectly transmit, ex. inanimate object, water, food, blood)
- vector (animal, ex. mosquitos, rats, ticks)

Question 10

portal of entry

Answer 10

how pathogens get in
- contaminated food, water, hands go in mouth
- rubbing eyes/nose
- contaminated surgical/everyday instruments
- inhaling droplets/airborne pathogens
- intercourse

Question 11

susceptible host

Answer 11

causes of susceptible:
- extremes of age
- acute/chronic illness
- stress

causes of susceptibility of pathogen
- virulence of the pathogen (harmfulness)
- strength & numbers of the pathogen
- resistance of pathogen

Question 12

breaking the chain of infection

Answer 12

when we interfere with one link of the chain, we break the chain
- hand hygiene (most effective)
- wearing PPE
- optimizing patients health