Session 5: Healthcare Infection

Question 1

Define healthcare infection

Answer 1

Infections that arise as a consequence of providing healthcare.
It includes hospital patients and infections in hospital visitors and healthcare workers as well as healthcare outside of hospital.

Question 2

How do you know the infection is acquired from hospital or healthcare instead of before?

Answer 2

The infection shouldn’t be present or incubating at time of admission and there is a arbitrary line sat, that onset of infection must happen at least 48 hours after admission.

Question 3

Give examples of the most prevalent healthcare Infections.

Answer 3

GI (clostridium difficile especially)
Primary bloodstream
Skin and soft tissue
Surgical complications (wound infections)
Pneumonia
UTI

Question 4

Give examples of health care infection pathogens.

Give viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.

Answer 4

Viruses like hep B, hep C, HIV, norovirus, influenza and chickenpox

Bacteria like staphylococcus aureus, clostridium difficile, E. Coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, mycobacterium tuberculosis

Fungi like Candida albicans and aspergillus species

Parasites like malaria

Question 5

Which patients are at risk?

Answer 5

Very young and very old people
Obese and malnourished
Diabetics
Cancer
Immunosuppressed
Smokers
Surgical patients
Emergency admissions

Question 6

What are the four ‘Ps’ of infection prevention and control?

Answer 6

Patient
Pathogen
Practice
Place

Question 7

Outline the patient factor of infection prevention and control.

Answer 7

Specific factors applying to the patient like obesity or diabetes.
Also their interactions with other patients, other healthcare workers and visitors.

Question 8

Outline the pathogen in infection prevention and control.

Answer 8

The virulence factors of the pathogen.
Also ecological interactions that the pathogen has with other bacteria and their response to antibiotics and disinfectants.

Question 9

Outline the practice factor of infection prevention and control.

Answer 9

The activities of the healthcare workers.
Their policies and implementations.
Structure and engagement.
Regional and national policies and initiatives.
Leadership on all levels.

Question 10

What are some place factors that influence infection prevention and control?

Answer 10

The environment and the water, food, air and surfaces in that environment.

Question 11

Give general patient interventions of HCAIs.

Answer 11

Optimising patients condition like smoking, nutrition and diabetes.
Antimicrobial prophylaxis
Skin preparation
Hand hygiene

Question 12

Give specific patient interventions of HCAIs.

Answer 12

MRSA screens
Mupirocin nasal ointment
Disinfectant body wash

Question 13

What is MRSA?

Answer 13

Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus

Question 14

How can you prevent spread of disease from patient to patient?

Answer 14

Physical barriers such as isolation of infected patient and/or protection of susceptible patients to that infection

Healthcare worker interventions such as hand hygiene

Question 15

Give healthcare worker interventions for HCAIs.

Answer 15

Making sure healthcare workers are disease free and vaccinated.

Good practice such as clinical techniques, hand hygiene, personal protective equipment and antimicrobial prescribing.

Question 16

Give environmental interventions for HCAIs.

Answer 16

Clean environment like the space and layout, toilets and wash hand basins. Using disinfectants, steam cleaning and H2O2 vapour.

Sterile medical devices like single use equipment.

Question 17

What is I-Five in infection prevention of HCAIs?

Answer 17

Identify
Isolate
Investigate
Inform 
Initiate