Patient Safety: Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI)

Question 1

What are examples of HCAI?

Answer 1

Catheter related urinary tract infections 
Hospital acquired Pneumonia
Surgical wound infection
MRSA(and MSSA)
C difficile
Glycopeptide resistant enterococci
Cannula site cellulitis
Norovirus

Question 2

What us Clostridium difficile and how does it spread?

Answer 2

Anaerobe bacterium - Forms spores which resist drying, heat, light
spread though direct patient to patient contact, via health care staff, or via contaminated spores
Found in gut flora but spores can survive long periods in the environment

Question 3

What does Clostridium difficile cause?

Answer 3

Asymptomatic carriage of
organism
Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea
Pseudomembranous colitis
Toxic megacolon
Death

Question 4

What is the Swiss cheese model?

Answer 4

holes = active or latant failure
layers = defences, barriers and safeguards
the more layers there are, the more holes needed in order to cause an accident (therefore less likely)

Question 5

What is a root cause analysis?

Answer 5

A method used to find the single cause of a accident
enables you to ask what, how and why
if it can be identified then it can be addressed to prevent recurrence

Question 6

What does the SIGHT mnemonic stand for?

Answer 6

Suspect a case
Isolate patient
Gloves and aprons
Hand hygiene with soap and water
Test for toxin

Question 7

What is the P.A.C.E approach and what does it stand for?

Answer 7

a graded method of assertiveness if another member of staff is doing something wrong
Probe - “do you know that..?”
Alert - “can we re-assess the situation..?”
Challenge - “please stop what you are doing for a minute while…”
Emergency! - “STOP what you are doing!”