outbreak Flashcards
What is the definition of a Healthcare associated infection?
It is an infection you might catch when getting healthcare in hospitals, care homes, doctors’ surgeries, health centres or receiving care at home
What are some of the most common HAI?
- Urine infection
- Infection after surgery
- Skin infection
- Diarrhoea
When do HAIs most commonly present?
- Usually presents after 48hrs in surgery
* Incubation period can vary
What is an outbreak?
2 or more cases of an infection linked in time and by place
What are the purposes of these measures put in place?
1st purpose: PREVENT
2nd purpose: DETECT and IDENTIFY at earliest opportunity
Chain of infection
- Susceptible host
- Infectious agent
- Reservoir e.g. Human, equipment , environment, food
- Mode of transmission: direct/ indirect
- Portal of entry
- portal of exit
How to prevent a break in the chain
- Hand hygiene
- Personal protective equipment
- Food safety
- Cleaning, disinfection, sterilisation
- Isolation
what are the main modes of transmission?
1- direct contact
2- Airborne/ inhalation
3- Ingestion
What are the differences between droplets and aerosols?
Droplet :
•>5 micrometres
•Drops to the ground
•Spread is about 1 m
Aerosol:
•<5micrometers
•More widespread
•Remains suspended in the air
when should hand hygiene be performed?
- Before touching the patient
- Before a clean/ septic procedure
- After bod/ fluid exposure
- After touching a patient
- After touching a patients surroundings
What does Cleaning imply?
Physical removal of organic material and DECREASE in microbial load
When can cleaning be used?
with low risk procedures e.g. stethoscope cleaning
What must be done post cleaning?
DRY
What does disinfection imply
Large REDUCTION in microbe numbers
What are the methods of disinfection?
- Heat : pasteurisation/ boiling
- Chemical
