Unit 5 Flashcards
Asepsis
The absence of viable pathogenic organisms
Medical Asepsis
-aimed at reducing pathogens to prevent the spread of one person to another
-used in administration of:
-medications
-enemas
-tube feeding
-daily hygiene
Types of medical asepsis
-handwashing (#1 way to stop infection)
-scrubbing
-spraying
-washing
-using disinfectants
Surgical Asepsis
-“sterile technique”
-free from all living organisms
-NO
-viruses, arterial, spores,yeast, fungi
-used in:
-dressing changes
-catheterizations
-surgical procedures
How long do nosocomial pathogens persist on inanimate surfaces (virus)?
Days
How long do nosocomial pathogens persist on inanimate surfaces (bacteria & fungi) surfaces?
Months
-enterococcus
-staphylococcus aureus
-streptococcus pyogenes
-TB
- C. Diff
-candida albicans (fungus)
Types of surgical asepsis
-moist heat
-dry heat
-gas
-chemicals
-radiation
Rules for surgical asepsis
-do not touch sterile items with non-sterile
-admit if you think you contaminated an item
-sterile area is
-in front
-waist up
-anything below waist is not sterile
-pass behind sterile person to avoid contamination
-don’t leave open sterile fields unattended
Sterile packages
-indicators show a sterilized item
-sterility doesn’t expire due to time
-assumed to be lost when an event that COULD allow microorganisms to breech package occurs
-opened
-torn
-gets wet
-do not open until needed
-avoid unnecessary movement around field
-do not reach over sterile field
-unwrap without touching inside
-peel and plop to add supplies to sterile field
Gloves
-left & right
-sizes
-grab by cuff and pull on using one hand
-hook the cuff of 2nd glove & push on other hand
-1st sterile glove cannot touch hand
-adjust gloves only touching sterile outwards
Gowns
-lead apron goes first
-gown goes on top
-hand the inside only
-neck and waist ties can be secured by a non-sterile person
-dirty person holds tag
-person in town does 180 wrapping string
-tear off all or half of tag you touched
Skin prep
-antiseptic
-iodine/betadine
-chlorohexadine
-circular
-inside out
-2-3x
-new swab each time
Draping
-don’t reposition once in place
-don’t reach over drapes
-“dirty people” should stay 12” away to avoid accidental contamination
-fenestrated drape
-drape with a hole
Dressing changes
-radiology doesn’t change
-dressing & dressing changes vary
-wet to dry
-dry to wet
-should not attempt to change a dressing without specific training
Sharps
-sharps container
-helps prevent accidental injury
-needles
-scalpels
-disposable scissors
-anything sharp
-DO NOT STUFF CONTAINER
Glass box
-broken
-not broken
-ASVA doesn’t have one
Linen
-all linen is considered contaminated
-if dripping fluids; double bag and remove
Infectious waste
-regulated medical waste
-red cans
-costs $ to dispose
-use if item contains enough blood or other potentially infectious body fluids (avoid spreading blood borne pathogens)
What not to put in infectious waste can
-BE bags
-band aid with blood on it
-diapers
-vomit
What can go into infectious waste container
-bloody tubing
-bloody dressings
-CSF tubes
-blood filled suction containers
Cleaning contaminated surfaces
-remove gross blood, etc
-spray surface with disinfectant
-some require surface to stay wet for a certain amount of time
-“dwell time”
Safety data sheet
-aka MSDS
-provide info on substances found in workplace
-disinfectants
-cleansers
-lead in lead markers
