Outbreak of Infection Flashcards
What is a healthcare associated infection?
An infection you might catch when getting healthcare in hospitals, care homes, doctor’s surgeries etc.
Most common in hospital are urine infections, post-surgical, skin infections, sickness and diarrhoea.
What is a hospital acquired infection?
Generally an infection acquired after being in hospital for >48hrs
For some organisms this will vary depending on incubation period of organism
Define an outbreak
Defined as 2 or more cases of an infection linked in time and place
Describe the chain fo infection
Infectious agent - reservoir - portal of exit - mode of transmission - portal or entry - susceptible host
What are some infectious agents?
bacteria
fungi
viruses
prion
What are some reservoirs?
Humans Equipment Environment Food Animals
Describe possible portals of exit
Blood and body fluids
Skin scales/wound
Coughing and sneezing
Describe possible modes of transmission
Direct or indirect
Inhalation
Ingestion of contaminated food
Describe possible portal of entry
Skin/surgical wounds Eyes or mouth Resp tract Intestinal tract Tubes
Describe susceptible hosts
Underdeveloped immune system
Decreasing immune system
Drugs or diseases
Tubes
Describe breaking the chain of infection
- Hand hygiene
- PPE
- Food safety
- Cleaning, disinfection, sterilization
- Isolation
- Infection prevention policies
- Pest control
- Personal hygiene
- Removal of catheters/tubes
- First aid
- immunization
- health insurance
- patient education
- waste disposal
- control aerosis and splatter
What are the 5 moments for hand hygiene?
- Before touching a patient
- Before clean/aseptic procedure
- After body/fluid exposure risk
- After touching a patient
- After touching patient surroundings
Describe transmission based precautions
Contact Gloves Apron Masks Eye protection
What is a droplet?
> 5um
Spread assumed to be ~1m
Drop to ground
What is an aerosol?
<5um
Much more widespread
Remain suspended in air
Describe cleaning
Physical removal of organic material and decrease in microbial load
Manufacturer’s instructions, detergent and water, drying is IMPORTANT
Cleaning essential prior to disinfection and sterilisation if these required
Describe disinfection
Large reduction in microbe numbers - spores may remain
Heat; pasturisation or boiling
Chemical; need to be equipment compatible e.g. alcohol, hydrogen peroxide
Describe sterilisation
Removal/destruction of ALL microbes and spores
Steam under pressure (autoclave), hot air oven, gas (ethylene dioxide), ionising radiation
What dow we clean, disinfect and sterilise?
Clean; low risk i.e. stethoscopes, cots etc
Disinfect/sterilise as appropriate; medium risk i.e. bedpans, vaginal specula
Sterilise; high risk i.e. surgical instruments
Describe surveillance in terms of infection
Local surveillance; lab based, ward/clinical based
National surveillance
All healthcare workers
Describe mandatory surveillance reporting in Scotland
- MRSA bacteraemia (2006)
- MSSA bacteraemia (2006)
- C. diff (2006)
- Surgical site infections (2007)
- E.Coli bacteraemia (2016)
