Lecture 6: Infection Prevention Flashcards
Who does the Infection Prevention Team protect?
Patients
Staff
Relatives
Visitors
How does the Infection Prevention Team protect?
By providing support and educating people
Tell me The Chain of Infection
Infectious agent -> Reservoir -> Portal of exit
-> Mode of Transmission -> Portal of entry
-> Susceptible host ->
What is an infectious agent?
The pathogen that causes the infection.
Could be bacteria, fungi, virus or parasites
What is a reservoir (in terms of disease)?
A place where pathogens can live and multiply
What is an example of a reservoir?
Humans
Food
Soil
Animals
Environment
What is a portal of exit?
The way that the pathogen escapes the reservoir
What is an example of a portal of exit?
People’s bodily excretions
What is the mode of transmission?
How the pathogens move, or spread from one place to another
What are examples of a mode of transmission?
Direct contact
Contaminated foods
Coughs/Sneezes
Dirty equipment
What does portal of entry mean?
How the pathogen has moved from the reservoir and how it now is invading the host
Give an example of a portal of entry
Open wounds/cuts
Swallowed
Breathed in
Medical instruments e.g feeding tubes, IV lines, needles (drugs)
Slide 15
