Unit 2-Safety Flashcards
5 types of microorganisms
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Fungi
- Protozoa
- Rickettsiae
Pathogens vs Normal flora
- Pathogens: causes diseases
- Normal Body Flora: doesn’t cause disease
What are healthcare acquired infections? how do patients get them? how can they be prevented?
- infection acquired in healthcare facility
- acquired= incorrect sanitation and disinfection
- prevention = hand washing
What is an opportunist infection
occurs when body defenses are weak
what do microorganisms need to grow
- moisture
- warmth
- Darkness
- Food source
Antiseptic
solutions that are applied directly to skin (only kill bacteria)
-alcohol, betodine
Disinfectant
uses strong chemicals, usually on objects not skin
-bleach
Sterilization
process that eliminates/kills all form of microorganisms
Autoclave
uses steam under pressure
Aseptic Technique
practices that are used to keep area free of germs and contamination
Medical Asepsis
Clean technique
- reduces microorganisms
Surgical Asepsis
Sterile Technique
- free of microorganisms - for invasive procedures - sterile can only touch sterile
What is the chain of infection
- way of gathering the info needed to interrupt/prevent an epidemic
infectious agent
organism that causes disease
Source
place where infectious agent lives and grows
Portal of Exit
body opening that allows infectious agent to leave the source
Route of Transmission
how infectious agent travels from infected person to another person
Susceptible Host
non-infected person who could get infected
Portal of Entry
any body opening that allows infectious agent to enter
what are some practices that can break specifics links in chain of infection
- hand washing
- disinfection
- environmental sanitation
- treatment
OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• federal agency responsible for workplace safety
CDC
Center for Disease Control and Prevention • public health agency • conducts research to promote health • responds to health problems •promote/create safe work places
what are standard precautions? when are they used ?
- practices that prevent transmissions of infectious agents in healthcare setting
- required for ALL healthcare providers
- assume everyone is infected
Examples of standard precautions
- hand washing
- environmental control
- PPE
- needles and other sharp objects
what are they types of transmission based precautions
Contact
Airborne
Droplet
what are transmission based precautions
aimed at preventing spread of highly infectious agents
what is PPE
personal protective equipment
Donning
putting on PPE
Doffing
- taking off PPE
causes of back injuries
- stress
- overweight
- poor posture
- forward bending
prevention of back injury
- no twisting
- bend knees
- push not pull
- use legs
3 people most susceptible to infection
- SCID
- very young
- older adults
infectious pathogen
they can live in a host and cause disease
virulent pathogen
- provides quantitative likelihood of disease
contagious pathogen
spreads disease easily from one person to another
what is a drug resistant bacteria? why does it occur?
- strains of bacteria that have adapted and no longer killed by normal antibiotics treatment
occur? =
- antibiotics used inappropriately
- not all meds taken
- prescribed wrong treatment
what methods have healthcare facilities implemented in order to decrease number of sharp injuries?
- use of safer hinged needles and winged steel needles
Needle-stick Safety and Prevention Act
what special precautions should be taken for patients with respiratory illness when coming in contact with others ?
- patient wear a mask in common areas
- provide them with a private waiting room and cafe
how do resistant bacteria in food animals end up in our food?
- carry diseases in their intestines
Body mechanics
- use of body to produce motion that’s safe, energy conserving and anatomically/physiologically efficient
Body alignment
- correct relationship/position of head, back and limbs
Contact
- transmitted from person to person
PRECAUTIONS = gloves, gown,
Droplet
- transmitted by respiratory secretions from one person to another
- spreads by coughs/sneezes
PRECAUTIONS = mask
Airborne
- spread by tiny airborne droplets
- droplets remain in air for long time - air currents carry this pathogen
PRECAUTIONS = efficiency particulate air N-95 respirator
- negative pressure, door shut
Indirect
infection transmitted from articles of surfaces in clients environment
direct
infection transmitted from skin to skin
