UNIT 4: Quality and patient safety; Infection control; Hygiene; Mobility and immobility Flashcards
Risks in the Healthcare Institution:
Chemicals (disinfectants, meds, etc)
Microorganisms (nosocomial infections)
Equipment (breaks, clean, etc)
Perception of safety
Risk for medical/procedural errors (incident reports)
Falls
What are the main causes of falls?
Medications
Delirium
Limited mobility
How to prevent falls:
- check Pts frequently
- use brakes on beds, commodes, wheel chairs, etc
- use shoes/rubberized slippers
- keep necessary items w/in reach
Restraints:
A means to control (use as a last resort). 3 main types:
- Physical Restraints (e.g. side rails, wrist restraints, etc)
- Chemical Restraints (e.g. meds)
- Environmental Restraints (e.g. closing door, etc)
Restraints should always be a ________?
Last resort
What 2 main factors affect safety?
- the environment
- our/the Pts developmental stage
Quality of Care:
Defined as the degree to which healthcare services for individuals + populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent w current professional knowledge
Patient Safety Incident/Adverse Events:
An event or circumstance that could have/did result in unnecessary harm to a Pt. There are 3 types of Pt safety incidents:
1) Harmful Incident - Incident that resulted in Pt harm
2) Near Miss - Incident that did not reach the Pt (no harm resulted)
3) No-Harm Incident - Incident that reached the Pt, but no harm resulted
5 Goals to drive Patient Safety and Quality:
1) Pt-centred care - Pts are = partners in planning/developing care to make sure it meets their needs.
2) Self Care - health services are safe & free from preventable harm
3) Accessible Care - timely & equitable access to quality health services
4) Appropriate Care
5) Integrated Care - health services are continuous and well coordinated, promoting smooth transitions
Cultural Safety:
an outcome based on respectful engagement that recognizes & strives to address power imbalances in the health system
The 3 purposes for infection control:
- protecting patients from acquiring infections
- protecting healthcare workers from becoming infected
- protecting entire populations from contracting infectious diseases
Microorganisms
typically a single cell (includes bacteria, protozoa, algae, + fungi) that = infection or an etiological agent
- can be non-pathogens (do not cause illness or
- can be pathogens (cause disease)
Infection
a disease state resulting from the entry and multiplication of a pathogen in the tissues of a host, causing clinical signs and symptoms
Communicable (infectious/contagious) disease
means the infection can be transmitted from 1 person to another
Immunocompromised
When an individual has an impaired immune system.
The Chain of Infection:
the development of an infection occurs in a cycle that is dependent on the presence of ALL the elements in the chain:
a) Infectious agent (pathogen)
b) Reservoir (source for growth)
c) Portal of exit from reservoir
d) Mode of transmission
e) Portal of entry into host
f) A susceptible host
Step 1: Infectious Agents
a.k.a. microorganisms/pathogens
The ones that = infection or an etiological agent and depends on certain factors.
The potential for microorganisms to cause disease depends what factors?
of organisms
Virulence (ability to produce disease)
Ability to enter/survive in host
susceptibility of host
Step 2: Reservoir
a place where a pathogen is stored/can survive but may or may not multiply.
Pathogens require a specific environment for survival
To survive pathogens require a reservoir with…?
Food
Sometimes oxygen (aerobic vs anaerobic)
Water
Temperature
pH
Minimal Light
Step 3: Portal of Exit (path to leave reservoir)
The path by which the pathogen leaves the reservoir. Portals of exit in the human body include:
- Body Openings: mouth, nose, rectal, vaginal, urethral, + artificial openings
- Breaks in Skin: scrapes, cuts, or other wounds
- Breaks in Mucous Membranes: the skin in the mouth, eyes, nose, vagina, + rectum
Pathogens are carried through portals of exit/entry via?
blood
bodily fluids
excretions/secretions
urine
stool
vomitus
saliva
mucus
pus
semen
vaginal discharge
Step 4: Modes of Transmission
The transfer of microbes in various ways (C.A.V.V)
i) Contact Transmission: transfer of microbes via Physical touch (D.I.D)
ii) Airborne: small airborne particles remain suspended in the air for long periods of time + susceptible host inhales them.
iii) Vehicle: single contaminated source (e.g. food, water) transmits infection to multiple hosts, possibly resulting in an outbreak.
iv) Vector borne : insects or pests transmits microbes/pathogens to humans (e.g. ticks, mosquitoes, etc)
Contact Transmission
the transfer of microbes via physical touch; may be by direct contact, indirect contact, or droplet (D.I.D)
Direct Contact: physical skin-to-skin contact b/w an infected or colonized individual and susceptible host.
Indirect Contact: contact b/w susceptible host + a contaminated intermediate object (e.g. soiled linen, dressings, etc)
Droplet Transmission: large particles from infected respiratory system are dispelled + deposited onto a susceptible host
