Lecture 4: Infection Control and Personal Safety

Question 1

What counts as a healthcare acquired infection?

Answer 1

• Nosocomial infections
• Any infection acquired by a patient while receiving tx

Question 2

How much do we spend on HAIs annually?

Answer 2

28.4B

Question 3

What are the MC sites for a HAI?

Answer 3

• Surgical site infection
• PNA
• GI infections

Question 4

What HAI types increased during covid? What decreased?

Answer 4

• CLABSIs (central line-associated bloodstream)
• CAUTIs (catheter acquired)
• VAEs (Ventilator associated events)
• MRSA
• Decreased: C. diff infections

Question 5

RFs for HAIs?

Answer 5

• Indwelling medical devices (IVs, ETT, foleys)
• Skin breaks
• Contamination of healthcare environment
• Transmission between pts and staff
• Overuse or improper use of ABX

Question 6

What are the NEVER events for a hospital?

Answer 6

• Retained object during surg
• CAUTIs
• CLABIs
• Administration of incompatible blood products
• Air embolism
• Patient fall
• Pressure ulcers
• Certain surgical site infections

Question 7

What falls under standard precautions?

Answer 7

• Hand hygiene
• PPE (gloves, gowns, masks, respirators)
• Safe injection
• Safe handling
• Coughing etiquette

Minimum infection protection standards for ALL pt care

Replaced universal precautions

Question 8

When is soap and water indicated for hand hygiene?

Answer 8

• Visibly soiled hands
• Post-care for pts with infectious diarrhea

Otherwise do an alcohol based sanitizer

Question 9

What is the final step after you have doffed all your PPE?

Answer 9

Hand Hygiene

Question 10

What kind of technique is injection safety?

Answer 10

Aseptic technique

Question 11

What is considered a critical item among medical equipment?

Answer 11

• Anything entering sterile tissue or vascular system
• MUST BE STERILE
• IV catheters, surgical tools

Question 12

What is considered a semi-critical item among medical equipment?

Answer 12

• Mucous membrane or non-intact skin contact
• High-level disinfection prior to reuse
• Colonoscopes

Question 13

What are non-critical items in medical equipment?

Answer 13

• Intact skin only, no mucous membranes
• Low/intermediate disinfection
• BP cuffs

Question 14

What are contact precautions?

Answer 14

• On top of standard: Gown and gloves upon entry
• Single-use/disposable/pt-dedicated equipment only
• mainly for infections that spread via contact or surfaces

Question 15

If an organism is likely to release spores when disinfected, what kind of disinfectant do you need to use?

Answer 15

Hypochlorite: bleach

Question 16

What are droplet precautions?

Answer 16

• Infections spread via close respiratory or mucous membrane contact with respiratory secretions
• Mask + standard precautions
• Single room preferred or 3+ feet + curtain
• If patient goes outside, wear mask outside

Question 17

What are airborne precautions?

Answer 17

• Infections that spread long distances and suspend in the air via particles
• Requires special respiratory protection + ventilation
• Mask or respirator according to disease, usually N95 at minimum
• Airborne infection isolation room (neg pressure)
• If worker is not-vaccinated against a preventable one, they should not enter.

Question 18

How does a negative pressure room work?

Answer 18

1. Sucks in air from outside so inside air cannot escape.
2. Ventilates air within the room
3. Keeps pathogens contained within the room

Used in patients with infectious respiratory diseases