patient placement/risk infection assessment

Question 1

what does MDRO stand for?

Answer 1

Multi-Drug Resistant Organism E.g. MRSA (a type of bacteria that is highly resistant to antibiotics).

Question 2

what is source isolation?

Answer 2

the patient is the source of the infection and so source isolation will prevent them from spreading their infection to others.

Question 3

what is protective isolation?

Answer 3

to protect someone uninfected who is at high risk from becoming infected. this is the physical separation of a patient to prevent the transmission from another to them.

Question 4

what does it mean to cohort patients?

Answer 4

this would occur if single-rooms were in short supply. when caring for people with the same known or suspected infection, they may all be placed into the same room if single-rooms are not available for all/most of them.

it is mainly carried out in hospitals and the decision to do so is made by clinicians and the ICP team, from start to finish.

Question 5

what is needed in a cohorted situation for both patients and staff?

Answer 5

• a clinical hand-wash basin in the area
• patients separated by at least 3ft- 1M
• doors remain closed when possible
• if possible, dedicated staff members assigned to the area

Question 6

precautions taken to minimise risks of infected people and cross-transmission during transportation

Answer 6

sometimes, those with infections may need to attend a physiotherapy appointment, have their dressings, have a scan, etc. and need to be safely transported, whilst the risk of cross-contamination needs to be minimised, e.g.

• covering infected wounds properly with dressings
• travelling alone in an ambulance or in their personal vehicle
• waiting until no longer infected if possible

Question 7

what is cross- transmission / cross-infection

Answer 7

the transfer of microorganisms, often viruses and bacteria, between people, through direct & indirect contact and in the air through cough & sneeze droplets.

Question 8

what is infection?

Answer 8

the invasion and growth of germs in the body, e.g.

• viruses
• bacteria
• yeast
• fungi

Question 9

how often should someone be assessed for infection/risk of cross-infection? Reviewed.

Answer 9

re-assessing should occur on an ongoing basis. this is a continuous and ongoing process, because the person’s health and their circumstances can change, especially in healthcare settings, e.g.

• movement between care settings
• physical and emotional concerns
• delay in discharge/transfer
• be in a single-room when there is no longer an infection risk

ETC.

Question 10

moments when a person should be risk assessed for infection?

Answer 10

• upon admission- to decide on patient placement, e.g. single-room
• if confirmed to have an infection, e.g. C.diff- so staff know how to protect themselves and other patients, e.g. PPE, remaining in single-room
• when confirmed to no longer be infected- to remove precautions, e.g. no PPE, moved into bedded-bay if remaining in hospital, to arrange discharge/transfer
• if returning to another place of care or if they receive home care- to ensure they are no longer infected/protect people in this area/visiting staff and others they treat
• if they return to a healthcare area- due to previous infection

Question 11

what is IPC?

Answer 11

IPC; infection prevention and control

Question 12

what is SIPCEP?

Answer 12

Scottish Infection Prevention and Control Education Pathway. It is an educational resource based on HCAIs and IPC; infection prevention and control in healthcare. Within are 10 elements which allow for this.

Question 13

what does HCAI stand for? who is most at risk?

Answer 13

HCAI; healthcare associated infection. these are infections ‘picked up’ in healthcare settings, including people’s homes.

most at risk of obtaining a HCAI;

• those already ill
• immunocompromised
• those with invasive devices, e.g. catheters, IVs, etc.
• those with wounds, e.g. burn survivors
• surgical patients
• elderly

Question 14

what is the chain of infection?

Answer 14

the chain of infection highlights the main ways in which infection occurs, through the linking of chains.

Question 15

The six chains of infection

Answer 15

1- infectious agent

2- reservoir

3- portal of exit

4- mode of transmission

5- portal of entry

6- susceptible host

Question 16

infectious agent?

Answer 16

the microrganism capable of casuing disease

Question 16

infectious agent

Answer 16

the microorganism capable of causing disease, e.g. bacteria, fungi, etc.

Question 17

reservoir?

Answer 17

the place in which the infectious agent lives, grows and reproduces, e.g. people, water, food, etc.

Question 18

portals of exit

Answer 18

the ways in which infectious agents leave their reservoir, e.g. blood, secretions, extractions, skin, etc.

Question 19

modes of tranmission

Answer 19

the ways in which the infectious agent will spread from their reservoir to the susceptible host, e.g. physical contact, airborne, droplets, etc.

Question 20

portal of entry

Answer 20

the ways in which the infectious agent will enter its host, e.g. mucous membranes, respiratory system, digestive system, broken skin, etc.

Question 21

susceptible host

Answer 21

the traits a person may halve which make them more vulnerable than those without these characteristics, to obtaining an infection, making their susceptibility higher, e.g. immune deficiencies, diabetes, burns, surgery, age, etc.

Question 22

easiest chain to break?

Answer 22

the mode of transmission, through proper hand hygiene

Question 23

transient organism

Answer 23

this term refers to microorganisms that are superficial and transfer very easily to and from hands. they are therefore identified as an easy source of infection but can be removed easily through good hand washing.

Question 24

what is an organism

Answer 24

any organic, living system that functions as an individual entity.

Question 25

types of organisms (4)

Answer 25

salmonella (salmonellis); a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract and ‘shed’ through the faeces. spread through contaminated food.

streptococcus (strep throat); a contagious bacterium that spread through the infected person’s cough/sneeze droplets and their shared food/drink. makes the throat ore and scratchy.

escherichia coli (E-coli); bacteria naturally found within healthy people. sometimes strains from contaminated foot/drink via faeces can cause severe stomach pain & diarrhoea.

staphylococcus (staph infection); a bacteria which often affects the skin. it lives on the skin but can infect broken skin, and spread easily through close-skin contact, shared towels, coughs/sneezes, etc.

Question 26

what is SICPs?

Answer 26

Standard infection Control precations

Question 26

what is SICPs?

Answer 26

Standard Infection Control Precautions