UNIT 1 Flashcards
anything in the environment that has the potential to cause harm (to medtech)
hazard
the possibility that something bad or unpleasant (such as an injury or loss) will happen
risk
aims to provide all employees a safe work environment. It was enacted by the US congress in 1970 and has widely been used as a basis by many countries internationally to come up with their own regulations concerning safety in the workplace.
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
the governing body responsible for ensuring and monitoring the implementation of the standards set. It is authorized to conduct on-site inspections to determine whether
an employer is complying with the mandatory standards.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (also OSHA)
include all pathogen or disease-causing microorganisms. These microorganisms are frequently present in the specimens that are processed in the clinical
laboratory.
pose any injury/harm to health; cause diseases (specimens)
Biohazards
illustrates how pathogens are transmitted. Understanding is essential for one to identify measures that will prevent infection. (in no particular order)
Chain of infection
The disease-causing microorganism
infectious agent/pathogen
Animate/ inanimate object where the infectious agent is found normally
living (that would allow to thrive and multiply/replicate/survive on to infect another host)
ex: human (infected patient like hiv), animal (dogs, bats with rabies), and inanimate - hook askaris tricoris (soil transmitted helminths)
reservoir
Routes and means utilized by the microorganism to escape from the reservoir (only applicable to live reservoirs) ex. body fluids
- hiv (blood/sperm) ascaris lumbricoides (feces/stool)
portal of exit
Method of conduction from the reservoir to the susceptible host
mode of transmission
person to person
contact transmission
Involves actual contact/ close proximity of the infected individual and the susceptible host (skin to skin)
direct transmission
subtype of direct contact transmission; “Mother-to-baby” transmission
vertical transmission
subtype of vertical direct contact transmission; Transfer of infectious agent happens BEFORE birth usually by crossing the placenta (baby is still in the womb; mothers blood passes to the baby)
ex: varicella (zoster virus/chicken pox)
(2nd infection shingles - more severe causes sterility in adults)
Prenatal/ Transplacental Transmission
subtype of vertical direct contact transmission; Transfer happens
during passage through the birth canal; during childbirth, contact with cervix/vagina
ex: herpes (simplex virus)
(type 1 - oral area, type 2 - genital area)
gonorrhea (can cause prenatal conjunctivitis)
Perinatal Transmission
subtype of direct contact transmission; Transmission from a person to another person within a group; No specificity when it comes to the involved hosts (contact)
ex: common cold, shaking hands
horizontal transmission
Includes Transmission by Fomites
indirect contact
Non-living object that may transmit an infectious disease (tissues, handkerchiefs, towels, doorknobs, bedding, etc)
Fomites
Respiratory particles of moisture containing an infectious agent
(coughing, sneezing, and talking) Usually have a diameter of >5 micrometers and capable only of traveling short distances (<1 meter)
time: sec-mins, PERSON TO PERSON IS NECESSARY
droplets/droplet transmission
Pathogen is spread through droplet nuclei (remnants after
evaporation of droplets)
- has a diameter less than 5 micrometers and are typically capable of travelling distances greater than 1 meter time: mins-hours NO NEED FOR PERSON TO PERSON CONTACT
airborne transmission
Transfer of infectious agents by an inanimate medium (soil, water, food)
common vehicle transmission
Pathogens are spread by contaminated water, usually with untreated or poorly treated sewage (cholera/vibrio cholerae and leptospirosis)
waterborne transmission
The pathogens usually develop in soil and is subsequently acquired by the susceptible host from the soil (Hookworm infection and Ascariasis) (hook askaris tricoris (soil transmitted helminths)
soil-borne transmission
Invertebrates capable of harbouring infectious agent
vector/vector-borne transmission