Module 1: Infection Control Flashcards
What are your body’s natural defenses against an infection?
- Normal flora
- Body system defenses
- Inflammation
What are the steps in the chain of infection?
- Infectious agent
- reservoir
- Portal of exit
- Mode of transmission
- Portal of entry
- host
What is the reservoir in the chain of infection?
The place where a pathogen can survive and may or may not multiply
In order to thrive they need food, oxygen, water, warm environment, pH 5-8 and minimal light
Hepatitis B is found in which major reservoirs?
Blood and body fluids
What is a portal of exit? Give 3 examples
The path which the pathogen leaves reservoir
Ex. Body openings, breaks in the skin, breaks in mucous membranes
What are some ways that microorganism can be transmitted from the reservoir to the host?
➢ Contact (direct or indirect) ➢ Droplet ➢ Airborne ➢ Vehicle ➢ Vectorborne
What are the steps for doffing When leaving a patient’s room in isolation?
1) Gloves
2) Hand hygiene
3) Gown
4) Hand hygiene
5) Eye protection or face shields
6) mask or N95 respirator
What are the steps in donning your PPE for patients in isolation
1) Hand hygiene
2) Gown
3) Procedure/surgical mask
4) N95 respirator
5) Eye protection or face shields
6) Gloves
What is the definition of communicable?
If an infection can be transmitted from one person to another
Define Virulence
The severity or harmfulness of a disease or poison
The potential for microorganisms to cause disease depends on four factors, what are they?
- A sufficient number of organisms
- Virulence, or ability to produce disease
- The ability to enter and survive in the host
- The susceptibility of the host
Describe surgical asepsis/sterile technique ?
•Purpose to eliminate all microorganisms from an object/area
- Governed by principles that help maintain sterility
What is vehicle transmission?
A single contaminated source (e.g. water, drugs, IV fluid, food, equipment) transmits infection to multiple hosts, possibly resulting in an outbreak
What is vectorborne transmission?
Insects or pests transmit microbes to humans
The severity of the patient’s illness depends on? (3)
- Extent of infection
- ability of the microorganism to cause disease (pathogenicity)
- susceptibility of the host
What is the purpose of medical asepsis/clean technique?
•Purpose to reduce and prevent the spread of microorganisms
What does asepsis mean?
•The absence of pathogenic (disease producing) microorganisms
What is colonization?
Occurs when the pathogen invades but does not cause harm
What is the portal of entry?
Pathogen’s are able to enter the body through the same route as they used to exit, factors that reduce the body’s defences enhance the chances of pathogen’s to enter the body
Define host in the chain of infection
Depends on the susceptibility which is the resistance to a pathogen
Describe the infectious agents in the chain of infection
The potential for microorganisms to cause disease depends on:
Number, virulence, ability to enter and survive in the host, susceptibility
Describe medical asepsis
- clean technique
- Absence of most but not all microorganisms
- Procedures used to decrease and prevent the spread of microorganisms
Steps in donning caps, masks, and eyewear
For sterile surgical procedures:
- Apply cap
- surgical mask
- Eyewear
