WEEK 1 NURSING - INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL

Question 1

hand hygiene “5 moments”

Answer 1

before touching patient
before clean/aseptic procedure
after body fluid exposure risk
after touching patient
after touching patient surrounds

Question 2

“located” symptoms

Answer 2

located to a specific part of the body

Question 3

“systemic” symptoms

Answer 3

microorganisms have spread to other parts of the body

Question 4

for an infection to develop infectious the microorganism must be able to:

Answer 4

• colonise/grow and multiply
• move from one source to another
• overcome a hosts defence systems
• damage cells, tissue and body systems

Question 5

resident flora

Answer 5

• microorganisms that are always present on or in the host without altering its health
• handwashing with soap and water or alcohol will not remove them
• considerable friction and antimicrobial wash is required to remove

Question 6

transient flora

Answer 6

• microorganisms that are episodic and usually do not continually live in or on host
• handwashing with soap and water or using alcohol will usually remove them
• usually acquired from direct contact with the microorganism

Question 7

importance of infection control

Answer 7

• 11.8 m people hospitalised in Aust 2020-21
• infection is a major reason we seek care
• Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) is the most common complication affecting hospital patients
• hospitalised people are more susceptible to infections
• HAI can have long term consequences and may prove to be fatal

Question 8

identify vulnerable patient populations

Answer 8

• oncology patients
• burns patients
• ICU patients
• paediatric patients
• pregnant patients
• surgical patients

Question 9

identify the modes of transmission

Answer 9

• contact
• droplet
• airborne
• food-borne
• water-borne
• vector-borne

Question 10

contact transmission

Answer 10

direct contact with infectious blood or body substances e.g. urine, saliva

Question 11

droplet transmission

Answer 11

infectious agent in large droplets (respiratory secretions/splash)

Question 12

airborne transmission

Answer 12

infectious agent in aerosols and are inhaled

Question 13

food-borne transmission

Answer 13

consumption of contaminated food

Question 14

water-borne transmission

Answer 14

consumption of contaminated water

Question 15

vector-borne transmission

Answer 15

carried by a vector e.g. mosquito

Question 16

components of the chain of infection

Answer 16

• infectious agent
• reservoir
• portal of exit
• method of transmission
• portal of entry
• susceptible host

Question 17

How can we minimise the number of microorganisms? (infectious agent)

Answer 17

• ensure all reusable equipment is clean
• cleaning equipment, disinfection and sterilisation
• educate and support staff involved in the handling of equipment

Question 18

infectious agent e.g.

Answer 18

• ebola virus
• E. coli bacteria
• Candida Albicans Fungus
• Rubella

Question 19

reservoir definition

Answer 19

a place where a pathogen can survive and may/may not multiply
-> a pH between 5-8 is ideal for most pathogens to survive

Question 20

what are the strategies to minimise transmission?

Answer 20

• use of standard precautions
• correct environmental cleaning procedures
• additional barriers or isolation precautions

Question 21

what are the strategies to prevent contamination?

Answer 21

• use of standard precautions
• correct handling of bodily fluids, used equipment
• educating individuals involved

Question 22

what are the strategies to minimise transmission?

Answer 22

• correct PPE
• correct handling of waste
• isolation precautions
• correct hand hygiene
• use of standard precautions

Question 23

personal protection equipment

Answer 23

• gowns
• gloves
• mask
• eye protection

Question 24

what is the primary method of transmission in a hospital?

Answer 24

via the hands of healthcare professionals

Question 25

how can we prevent the entry of microorganisms into the host?

Answer 25

- effective oral/skin hygiene - skin covering to protect skin breaks - wash hands always

Question 26

how can we make a less susceptible host?

Answer 26

- providing healthy and nutritious meals - promoting good rest and sleep - encouraging exercise, immunisations and education

Question 27

non-pharmacological factors increasing susceptibility

Answer 27

- diabetes mellitus - emphysema - cancer - Peripheral Vascular Disease - burns - down syndrome - smoking

Question 28

pharmacological factors affecting susceptibility

Answer 28

- glucocorticoids - cytotoxics - antineoplastics - immunosuppressants - radiotherapy

Question 29

stages of infection

Answer 29

- incubation - prodromal - illness - convalescence

Question 30

healthcare-associated infections

Answer 30

- infections acquired as a direct or indirect result of healthcare - most common HAI were surgical site infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia

Question 31

healthcare-associated infections consequences

Answer 31

- increased risk of adverse outcomes for patients - extra financial cost - fewer hospital beds available for new admissions - delayed movement of patients - rise of multi-drug resistant microorganisms

Question 32

types of hospital-acquired infections

Answer 32

- HAI -> contracted by patients during hospital admission - iatrogenic infections - exogenous HAI - endogenous HAI

Question 33

iatrogenic infections

Answer 33

the result of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures provided to the patient

Question 34

exogenous HAI

Answer 34

an infection from an organism that is external to the persons own normal flora

Question 35

endogenous HAI

Answer 35

when part of a patients own normal flora in one body site is able to multiply and move into other body sites

Question 36

role of nurse/midwife in infection control

Answer 36

- prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases - to break linkages in the chain of infection

Question 37

key elements of infection control

Answer 37

- training - standard precautions - immunisation/vaccination - waste management - cleaning and disinfection - safe use of sharps - PPE - hand/respiratory hygiene

Question 38

standard precautions

Answer 38

the minimum requirements for the basic level of infection control e.g. hand hygiene, PPE

Question 39

additional precautions

Answer 39

may be required in certain circumstances e.g. the patient has a highly transmissible infection not contained by standard precautions