Outbreak !

Question 1

What are Healthcare Associated Infections?

Answer 1

Infections that can be caught when accessing healthcare in hospitals, care homes, doctors surgeries, health centres or receiving
care at home

Acquired after 48 hours

Question 2

What are the most common HAI?

Answer 2

Urine infections, skin infections, sickness and diarrhoea

Question 3

Define an outbreak?

Answer 3

2 or more cases of infection linked in time and place

Question 4

What is the purpose of IPCT?

Answer 4

Prevention of individual infections and outbreaks

Question 5

What is the purpose of surveillance?

Answer 5

Detect and identify possible outbreak at earliest opportunity

Question 6

What are infectious agents?

Answer 6

Bacteria, Virus, Fungi and Prion

Question 7

Who can act as reservoirs?

Answer 7

Humans, Equipment, Environment, Food and Animals

Question 8

What acts as the portal of exit?

Answer 8

Blood and body fluids, skin scales/wound, coughing and sneezing

Question 9

What are the mode of transmission?

Answer 9

Direct or indirect, inhalation, ingestion of contaminated food

Question 10

What are the portals of entry?

Answer 10

Skin/surgical wounds, eyes or mouth, respiratory tract, intestinal tract, tubes

Question 11

What are susceptible hosts?

Answer 11

Underdeveloped immune system, decreasing immune system, drugs or diseases, tubes

Question 12

Name the transmission based precautions?

Answer 12

Contact, gloves and aprons, masks, eye protection

Question 13

Define cleaning?

Answer 13

Physical removal of organic material and decrease in microbial load

Question 14

Define disinfection?

Answer 14

Large reduction in microbe numbers - spores may remain

Question 15

Define sterilisation?

Answer 15

Removal/Destruction of ALL microbes and spores

Question 16

What objects are low risk for infection?

Answer 16

Intact skin contact eg stethoscope, cots and matresses. Cleaning these objects is acceptable

Question 17

What objects are medium risk for infection?

Answer 17

Mucous membrane contact e.g bedpans, vaginal specula or endoscopes. Disinfection or sterilisation is appropriate

Question 18

What objects are high risk for infection?

Answer 18

Surgical instruments

Sterilisation is appropriate

Question 19

What are methods of disinfection ?

Answer 19

Heat i.e boiling or pasturisation

Chemical i.e alcohol, chlorhexidine, hypochlorites, hydrogen peroxide

Question 20

What are methods of sterilisation?

Answer 20

Autoclave, hot air oven, ethylene dioxide and ionising radiation