W1 Hand hygiene Flashcards
What are a practitioner’s five moments of hand hygiene?
Before touching a patient.
Before a clean or sepctic procedure
After fluid exposure risk
After treating a patient
After touching patient surroundings e.g chairs.
What is the difference between an infection, contamination and a colonisation?
The infection causes a reaction/disease.
Contamination/ colonisation may not cause an infection or a disease.
Contamination is the temporary presence of an organism.
Whilst colonisation is a continued presence of an organism.
Define hygienic practice.
Why is it important?
A method or practice by which people aim to preserve good health and prevent illness often through a cleaning process.
This is important to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, avoiding preventable mortality, morbidity and associated financial costs on the healthcare system
What are hospital acquired/associated infections?
What are some common examples?
HCAI are an infectious disease acquired more than 48 hours after admission into a hospital or less than 48 hours since discharge from a hospital.
MRSA, urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, norovirus and c difficile.
What are the different modes of transmission of a disease?
Airborne
Direct contact
Faecal oral route
Vector
Vertical
Blood borne
Indirect contact
In Venice, Bella And David found Verona
What is meant by the chain of infection?
A circular and continuous process by which infections spread and cause disease.
Infectious Agent, enters reservoir (host), leaves by a portal of exit, travels by a mode of transmission, find a portal of entry, enters a susceptible host to cause disease.
What is the difference between disinfectant and sterilisation?
Sterilisation kills are viable microorganisms including spores, including those that were not causing any harm.
Disinfection may remove or kill some viable microbes, may remove without killing.
How does a detergent work and when should it be used?
Used as a type of disinfectant.
Hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions cause an almost vesicle-like structure of dirt on the hands, that is then rinsed off by water. Hydrophobic attaches to dirt and oils.
Works on all microbes.
Is mainly used for Vomiting and diarrhoea, C.difficile, norovirus and obviously soiled hands.
How does alcohol work and what should it be used for? in hand cleaning.
Alcohol works as a disinfectant.
It dissolves the cell membrane and denatures proteins in the membrane.
This only works on some microbes.
Is mainly used a less frequent or intermediate hand wash procedure, eg after washing hands but touching papers before touching a patient.
What is a sterilising agent and when should is be used in a hand washing scenario?
Examples are chlorine and chlorhexidine.
Dissolves the cell membrane and attacked inner membranes, killing microbes.
Works on all microbes.
Should be used when dealing with open wounds or direct routes into the body such as pre-surgery.
How is hand hygiene applied in a clinical environment itself?
public health response
Suitable number and type of handwashing facilities.
Hand washing facilities should be unobstructued
Wall mounted soap or alcohol gel should be automated to give an appropriate amount.
Single use towels should be available at all sites.
Alcohol based sanitiser is more widely available at the point of patient care and ward entrances.
How is hand hygiene and hygienic practice affect the practitioner directly?
Wear appropriate PPE
Use local trust guidance
Ensure you know correct hand washing procedures.
Must be bare below the elbow and have good hand care, e.g not dry skin that makes less likely to wash hands.
What are some key points in how to wash your hands correctly?
Wet hands,
Spend 20-30seconds rubbing in soap,
Start with palms. then opposite finger interlocked then high five style interloacked fingers, then behind fingers, then thumbs and palms again.
Rinse well.
Dry well.
Turn off tap using the towel or your elbow.
Whole process should take 40-60 seconds.
What are some key points on how to use hand rub effectively?
Should only be used up to five times in a row.
Apply a palm full of product in a cupped hand.
Rub palms then backwards interlocked then high fiver interlocked, backs of fingers, thumbs then palms again.
Allow hands to dry naturally.
What does the GMC state all newly qualified doctors must be able to do in relation to hygiene?
Control the risk of infection, taking appropriate steps for personal safety.
Follow approved hand washing procedures
Correctly use PPE
Safely dispose of all clinical waste, sharps and equipment. (use waste streams).
Ensure up to date on all vaccinations.
Do not let own health threaten patients (do not attend work if VD)
Report all notifiable disease occurrences of identified disease.
