Nursing Techniques - Infection and Prevention Control Flashcards
what are health care associated infections?
HAI’s aka nosocomial infections
what do HAIs do?
they prevent health care workers and visitors from acquiring these infections
what are the most common pathogen to cause HAIs?
staphylococcus aureus, pseudomonas aeruginosa + e-coli
what are the most common HAIs?
central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), respiratory pneumonia, surgical site wound infections (SSI), bacteremia, gastrointestinal + skin infections
define infection
invasion and multiplication of a pathogen in or on body tissues causing clinical manifestations
define pathogen
organism capable of causing an infection (bacteria, fungi, virus, parasite)
are all organisms pathogens?
no
localized VS systemic
localized: limited to specific part of body + has localized symptoms
- example: wound infection
- symptoms: redness, heat, swelling, pain, + loss function
systemic: affects more than one area of the body
- example: cold, flu, strep throat, mono
- symptoms: depend on type of systemic infection + extend to more than one system - fever, fatigue, loss of appetite
are pathogens always harmful
no
does a person need an identified infection to pass it to another person?
no
what are the three ways normal flora can cause infection when disrupted?
- when they enter another part of the body than where they are located
- when balance is not maintain
- when a person is immunocompromised
what are the 2 types of flora on the skin?
- resident (permanent)
- transient (attach to skin when there is contact with another person or object)
what is the difference between endogenous infections and exogenous infections
endogenous infections occur when a clients normal flora becomes altered - overgrowth of harmful organism occurs (ex. enterococci, yeasts, streptococci)
exogenous infections arise from microorganisms external to the individual (salmonella, influenza)
in order list the 6 links in the chain of infection
- infectious host
- reservoir
- portal of exit (POE)
- means of transmission
- portal of entry
- susceptible host
describe the infectious host
aka a pathogen
- microorganism can cause an infection if the chain remains intact
describe the reservoir
a place where microorganism can survive and possibly multiply
- most common one is a person (can be animal, person, or object)
- reservoirs in people include/l respiratory, gastrointestinal, reproductive, urinary, and circulatory systems
- most microorganisms require food, oxygen, moisture, warmth (35-37 degrees), basic pH (5-8), and minimal light
define the portal of exit (POE)
path a microorganism uses to leave the reservoir
- commonly in mucous membranes like the mouth, nose, vagina, rectum, and breaks in the skin
- blood, sputum, semen, faces are part of POE
- POE is related to the reservoir
what would the POE be if the reservoir was the respiratory or circulatory system
respiratory = coughing or sneezing
circulatory = blood
define the means of transmission
same as the mode of transmission, it is how the microorganism travels
- 5 routes: contact (most common - divided into direct + indirect), droplet, airborne, common vehicle, vectorborne
define the portal of entry
how the organism gets into the body (mucous membranes, breaks in the skin / bodily fluids)
- same route as POE
- decrease in body’s defences increases the chance of pathogens gaining entrance into the body
define susceptible host
anyone who is not immune to the infectious agent
- factors include: age, nutritional status, stress, immune status (ex. chemotherapy), disease process (ex. diabetes, asthma, HIV), heredity, medical therapy
what are some ways to break the chain of infection?
handwashing (the best way to prevent infection!), emptying bed pans, proper handling of soiled linen and equipment, sharps safety (needles)
define asepsis
absence of pathogens and can be achieved through the use of aseptic technique
2 techniques: medical + surgical
what is the difference between medical asepsis and surgical asepsis
medical asepsis = “clean technique” - reduces the number of microorganisms and prevents transmission, goal is to keep the area as clean as possible (ex. BP cuff clean)
surgical asepsis = “sterile technique” - free of all contaminants. eliminates all microorganisms (ex. operating room)