Module 3: Sterile Technique Flashcards
Medical asepsis (infection control)
Practice that prevents the spread of infection
Nosocomial infection
Infection that originates in the health care facility
Generalized infection
Spread throughout the body (fever, chills, pain)
Susceptibility
Body’s ability to resist infection. Determined by age, underlying disease, nutrition, medications, etc.
Pathogen
Microbes that cause disease
Bacteria
Microorganisms that can be eliminated with antibiotics
Viruses
Cause disease, cannot be eliminated by antibiotics; many treated with vaccines
Disinfection
Destroy pathogens by scrubbing or soaking
Antiseptic
Product that cleans the skin and removes microorganisms; do not use on equipment or for cleaning environmental surfaces
Modes of transmission
Airborne, droplet, contact (direct, indirect), common vehicle (food, water), vector (fleas, ticks)
Fomite
Linen, equipment, etc contaminated w/ microbes
Droplet transmission distance
3 feet
Chain of infection includes
Causative agent, reservoir, portal of entry, mode of transmission, portal of exit, susceptible host
Clean and soiled items
Considered soiled even if not used but brought into pt room
Hand washing
Most important method used to prevent spread of infection
Mucous membranes
Tissues that secrete mucus; open to outside of body (nasal passage, mouth, eyes, vagina etc)
Blood borne pathogens
Microbes that cause disease through contact with blood, mom-intact skin, mucous membranes, etc. (ex. Hep B & C, HIV, AIDS)
Hepatitis
Inflammation of the liver; 6 types in US: A, B, C, D, E, G
Hepatitis B
Infection of liver; may have no symptoms; diagnosed by blood test; jaundice; permanent liver damage
Hepatitis C
Disease of liver; also affects white blood cells; liver cancer and failure
Hep A & Hep E
Oral/ fecal contamination via food (A) or water (E)
HIV
May have no symptoms; blood converts - to + when person becomes sick; blood test required; 6-10 years for AIDS to develop; lifelong carrier of HIV
Standard precautions
Used in the care of all residents regardless of disease or diagnosis (hand washing, PPE, etc)
Transmission based precautions
Regulated by CDC; includes airborne, droplet and contact precautions
Negative pressure environment
For airborne precautions, ventilation is reversed; air is drawn upwards into vents, specially filtered or exhausted directly to outside
E. coli
Resides in intestines; can cause UTIs; 0157:H7 outbreaks caused illness & death; transmitted via contaminated meat etc; supportive care
Petechiae
Small purple spots on body surface caused by minute hemorrages
Pseudomonas colitis
Caused by Clostridium difficle; develops in PTA on antibiotic therapy; foul smelling watery diarrhea; contact precautions
Hantavirus
Spread by contact with rodents and their excretions; excretions become airborne and are inhaled; respiratory support; not transmitted person to person
Shingles
Occurs only in people who have had chickenpox; lesions follow nerve pathways; contact and airborne precautions
MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; difficult to treat drug resistant organism; contact precautions (wound) or droplet precautions (respiratory)
VRE
Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus; originates in colon; causes severe infections in parts of body; spread by contact
Tuberculosis (TB)
Spreads via airborne; treatment 6mon-1yr; fever, night sweats, blood tinged mucus; vaccine is live, not given in US; growing health concern; treated with antibiotics
Head lice
Parasites spread by contact with infected person (not animals); check for nits (eggs)
Scabies
Caused by mites; highly contagious by direct and indirect contact; topical creams and lotions for treatment
Sterile technique (surgical asepsis)
Microbe free method used for performing procedures within body cavities and during certain dressing changes
Shingles caused by
Herpes zoster
