Saftey Unit: Unit 1 Flashcards
What is WHMIS?
WHMIS is a workers “Right to know” about hazardous materials in the workplace
Stands for: Workplace Hazardous Material Information System
Human with star in the middle sign
Health hazard
-Toxicity
Exclamation Mark
Exclamation Mark
-Acute toxicity
Fire with circle
Flame over circle
-Flammable
Fire
Flame
-Can oxidize
Dead fish
Enviroment
-Can be toxic to aquatic environments
Skull
Skull and cross bones
-Acute toxicity
Cylinder
Gas cylinder
-Gas under pressure
Hand having liquid poured on it
Corrosion
-Serious damage to eyes, skin corrosion and can be corrosive to metals
biohazardous
Biohazardous
- An item that is biological, meaning it came from something that is alive or interacted with something alive but now is hazardous such as urine, feces, needles.
blood borne pathogens? examples
Pathogens that spread through contact with blood.
- an open wound coming in contact with someone’s blood who has a blood borne pathogen. An example of a blood borne pathogen is HIV
What are some safety precautions to prevent a sharps injury?
Capping needle after usage
Having sharps containers around
Checking your surroundings when walking around with a needle
What can grow on wet surfaces?
Bacteria, molds.
What are the 3 types of modes of transmission of pathogens?
droplets, direct contact and airborne transmission
Ways to break chain of infection
Washing hands, maintaining a distance from people who are sick, having patients wear masks, wiping down high touch surfaces with sterile wipes, hygiene, eating clean to improve immune system
Order of chain of infection
-Infectious agent (fungs, virus, bacteria)
-Source of reservoir (where the pathogen lives)
-Portal of exit ( how it leaves the body, i.e sneezing, cough, blood, feces)
-Mode of transportation (How the virus gets around i.e droplet, airborne and direct contact)
-Portal of entry (How it enters the host i.e coughing, sneezing, blood contact)
-Susceptible host (Things that make a host easier to infect i.e AIDS, poor immune system, poor diet, organ transplants)
Microgranism
Small organisms that can only be seen with microscope
handwashing
An essential skill healthcare workers must know how to do effectively and is one of the main ways preventing infections
pathogens
harmful, viruses, bacteria, infections caused by microorganisms.
fomite
Contaminated non-living object
Asepsis
Without infection or absence of pathogens
medical asepsis
Medical practices that reduce a number of microorganisms and interrupt transmissions between people or people and objects
surgical asepsis:
Medicine practices that kills off all microorganisms from an object
disinfection
A method to eliminate most pathogens from surfaces and equipment i.e lysol
sterilization
A method used to remove ALL microorganisms from objects (i.e autoclave)
antiseptic
A liquid used to clean the skin
opportunistic infection:
A infection that occurs when the body is weak or immune system is compromised
nosocomial infection
A infection that is acquired in a healthcare setting or long-term living facility usually caused by healthcare workers
Cross-contamination
When a microorganism passes from one person or from an object to another
standard precautions
Standard infection control practices that all healthcare workers do at all times with the assumption that everyone could be infectious
transmission based precaution
Special precautions and practices that are taken when there is a known infectious illness and using only standard precautions aren’t enough protection
Cleaning a patients teeth as a dentist
Medical asepsis: wearing gloves, masks, PPE, washing hands
Surgical sepsis: PPE, sterilization of equipment, sterile gloves, autoclave
You need to check on a patient who may be infectious, they are coughing a lot
Medical sepsis: wearing gloves, mask, other PPE, hand washing
You’re a paramedic performing CPR on someone’s whos bleeding and has cuts all over their face
Medical sepsis: PPE, wash hands
Surgical sepsis: sterile gauze, sterile gloves, sterile equipment, sterile bandages, hand washing
What are potential consequences of not using proper infection control practices
Viruses and bacteria can spread. For example, bloodborne pathogens can be spread if items are not sterilized when an incision is being made on the patient
sterile field
A sterile field can be used when cleaning equipment, such as creating flaps in wrapping paper so that contaminated hands do not touch the sterilized areas. How to know when an instrument has been thoroughly cleaned is when the black lines appear on the tape used to seal up the package of wrapped tools and the tape inside the sterile field.
PPE
Personal Protective Equipment
-masks, gloves, eye protection, shoe protection, gowns, hair nets
DONNING
WASH HANDS, Gown, mask, hat. eye protection, gloves
DOFFING
Gloves, gown, hand hygiene, eye protection, mask, hairnet, hand hygiene
Handwashing steps
-Wet hands for good later
-Interlock fingers at front
-Interlock fingers at the back of the hand
-Lock hands and scrub
-Clean thumbs
-Clean nails at the palm
8 basic rules of body mechanics.
-Have a broad base of support. Feet
shoulder width apart
-Bend from knees + hips
-Use the strongest muscles in your body, legs and arms. The back is weak
-Carry objects close to you
-Use weight of your body
-Avoid twisting
-Avoid bending for long periods of time.
-Ask for help and use machines to help (i.e hoyer lift)
rules about using a wheelchair safely
Make sure breaks are on when transferring and taking a patient out of the wheelchair
If a patient wants to roll themselves they should ask or indicate that they want to roll themselves so that the wheeler is notified and does not accidentally end up crushing their fingers.
‘working height’
A height that is suitable for healthcare workers to treat, feed, and bathe a patient.
What is the first thing you should do before performing any type of transfer on a patient?
You should make sure the patient is at a working height, introduce yourself to the patient, what you’ll be doing and wash your hands.
What are the safety concerns when using a hoyer lift?
-The concerns are the patient falling out of the lift because the hooks aren’t connected
- The patients head getting banged on the metal of the lifter
- Traveling carefully with the patient
important techniques and rules to remember with hoyer lift?
-When moving patients feet to each side of the pole, the breaks should be on
-The patient’s feet should not be touching
the bed when being lifted
-When the patient is lowered release them slowly and make sure to have some room between them and a wheelchair of bed so that they are comfortable
-Make sure patient doesn’t hit their head on the metal part of the powerlift while the lift lowers them
What can result from poor body mechanics?
Bad back
Leaving work
Injuries
Supine
(On your back with pillow under the feet) used for a general exam
Prone
(On your back) with pillow under feet Helps relieve some pain
Lateral position
(Laying on their side with pillow in between knee and knee propped up.) Position helps relieve some pain
Sims position
(Almost on your stomach with pillow between your knee and thigh again. This used used for vaginal exams, rectal exams)
Semi fowler’s position
( 45 degree angle, like a therapist chair. Patient is slightly sitting up.This position helps with patients breathing)
High fowler’s
(Closet to a 90 degree angle, can help with breathing and digestion problems)
Trendelenburg position
( Feet are more lifted then head, this position helps bring blood back to head and heart)
Reverse Trendelenburg position
It’s the opposite of Trendelenburg position (Feet are lowered, looks like you will slide off bed. Helps with gastrointestinal problems)
