Outbreak Flashcards
What is a Healthcare Associate Infection?
An infection one might get from a healthcare setting: hospitals, care homes, doctors’ surgeries, health centres or receiving care at home
Most common types: UTI, infections following surgery, skin infections, sickness and diarrhoea
What is a hospital acquired infection?
Generally an infection acquired after being in hospital for more than 48 hours or within 48hrs of discharge
This is dependant on the organisms incubation period
Most common causes of hospital acquired infections?
- UTI = 22%
- Surgical site = 18.6%
- Respiratory = 17.5%
- Bloodstream = 10.8%
- GI = 6.8%
- Skin and soft tissue = 4%
What is the most common cause of a hospital acquired UTI?
Catheterisation
What is the most common cause of a hospital acquired respiratory tract infection?
Intubation accounts for almost a 1/4 of these
What is the most common cause of a hospital acquired bloodstream infections?
Many Central Venous Catheter related
What is the definition of an outbreak?
An outbreak of an infection is defined as 2 or more cases of an infection linked in time and place
What is the purpose of IPCT and surveillance?
1) Prevent individual infections, as well as outbreaks
2) Detect and identify possible outbreaks at the earliest opportunity
What is the “chain of infection”?
1) Portal of entry
2) Susceptible host
3) Infectious agent
4) Reservoir
5) Portal of Exit
6) Mode of transmission
Start again:
1) Portal of entry
2) Susceptible host
etc
What are examples of infectious agent classes in the “chain of infection”?
Bacteria
Virus
Fungi
Prions
What are examples of reservoirsin the “chain of infection”?
Humans Equipment Environment Food Animals
What are examples of portal of exit in the “chain of infection”?
- Blood and body fluids
- Skin scales/wound
- Coughing and sneezing
What are examples of mode of transmission in the “chain of infection”?
- Direct or indirect
- Inhalation
- Ingestion of contaminated food
What are examples of portal of entry in the “chain of infection”?
- Skin/surgical wound
- Eyes
- Mouth
- Respiratory tract
- Intestinal tract
- Tubes
What are examples of susceptible hosts in the “chain of infection”?
- Underdeveloped immune system
- Decreasing immune system
- Drugs
- Diseases
- Tubes
How can you break the chain of infection in terms of: Contact, ingestion or inhalation?
- Hand hygiene
- Personal protective equipment
- Food safety
- Cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation
- Isolation
When should hand hygiene be implemented?
1) Before touching a patient
2) Before clean/aseptic procedure
3) After touching a patient
4) After exposure to body fluids risk
5) After touching patients surroundings
How can you break the chain of infection in terms of reservoirs: humans, equipment, animals, soil, water etc?
- Cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation
- Infection prevention policies
- Pest control
How can you break the chain of infection in terms of portal of entry: broken skin/incision, respiratory tract, mucous membranes, catheters and tubes?
- Hand hygiene
- Personal protective equipment
- Personal hygiene
- First aid
- Removal of catheters and tubes
What percentage of HAI are SSI?
15.9%
What percentage of acute adult inpatients have a SSI?
0.8%
What is the median age of an SSI?
63 years
What is the most common event leading to a SSI?
Surgery (80.5%) - Most commonly general surgery (40.4%)
What is the most common causative agents of an SSI?
1) S aureus = 23.9%
2) E coli = 14.1%
3) Anaerobes = 8.5%
4) Other = 53.5%
What percentage of those with SSI have life limiting or end of life prognosis?
28.7%
What are the most common prescribed antimicrobials used to treat SSIs?
- Flucloxacillin
- Vancomycin
What are the most common prescribed antimicrobials used to prevent SSIs?
- Gentamicin
- Cefuroxime
- Co-amoxiclav