WEEK 1 NURSING - INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL Flashcards
hand hygiene “5 moments”
before touching patient
before clean/aseptic procedure
after body fluid exposure risk
after touching patient
after touching patient surrounds
“located” symptoms
located to a specific part of the body
“systemic” symptoms
microorganisms have spread to other parts of the body
for an infection to develop infectious the microorganism must be able to:
- colonise/grow and multiply
- move from one source to another
- overcome a hosts defence systems
- damage cells, tissue and body systems
resident flora
- 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
transient flora
- 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
importance of infection control
- 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
identify vulnerable patient populations
- oncology patients
- burns patients
- ICU patients
- paediatric patients
- pregnant patients
- surgical patients
identify the modes of transmission
- contact
- droplet
- airborne
- food-borne
- water-borne
- vector-borne
contact transmission
direct contact with infectious blood or body substances e.g. urine, saliva
droplet transmission
infectious agent in large droplets (respiratory secretions/splash)
airborne transmission
infectious agent in aerosols and are inhaled
food-borne transmission
consumption of contaminated food
water-borne transmission
consumption of contaminated water
vector-borne transmission
carried by a vector e.g. mosquito
components of the chain of infection
- infectious agent
- reservoir
- portal of exit
- method of transmission
- portal of entry
- susceptible host
How can we minimise the number of microorganisms? (infectious agent)
- ensure all reusable equipment is clean
- cleaning equipment, disinfection and sterilisation
- educate and support staff involved in the handling of equipment
infectious agent e.g.
- ebola virus
- E. coli bacteria
- Candida Albicans Fungus
- Rubella
reservoir definition
a place where a pathogen can survive and may/may not multiply
-> a pH between 5-8 is ideal for most pathogens to survive
what are the strategies to minimise transmission?
- use of standard precautions
- correct environmental cleaning procedures
- additional barriers or isolation precautions
what are the strategies to prevent contamination?
- use of standard precautions
- correct handling of bodily fluids, used equipment
- educating individuals involved
what are the strategies to minimise transmission?
- correct PPE
- correct handling of waste
- isolation precautions
- correct hand hygiene
- use of standard precautions
personal protection equipment
- gowns
- gloves
- mask
- eye protection
what is the primary method of transmission in a hospital?
via the hands of healthcare professionals
how can we prevent the entry of microorganisms into the host?
- effective oral/skin hygiene
- skin covering to protect skin breaks
- wash hands always
how can we make a less susceptible host?
- providing healthy and nutritious meals
- promoting good rest and sleep
- encouraging exercise, immunisations and education
non-pharmacological factors increasing susceptibility
- diabetes mellitus
- emphysema
- cancer
- Peripheral Vascular Disease
- burns
- down syndrome
- smoking
pharmacological factors affecting susceptibility
- glucocorticoids
- cytotoxics
- antineoplastics
- immunosuppressants
- radiotherapy
stages of infection
- incubation
- prodromal
- illness
- convalescence
healthcare-associated infections
- infections acquired as a direct or indirect result of healthcare
- most common HAI were surgical site infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia
healthcare-associated infections consequences
- 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
types of hospital-acquired infections
- HAI -> contracted by patients during hospital admission
- iatrogenic infections
- exogenous HAI
- endogenous HAI
iatrogenic infections
the result of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures provided to the patient
exogenous HAI
an infection from an organism that is external to the persons own normal flora
endogenous HAI
when part of a patients own normal flora in one body site is able to multiply and move into other body sites
role of nurse/midwife in infection control
- prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases
- to break linkages in the chain of infection
key elements of infection control
- training
- standard precautions
- immunisation/vaccination
- waste management
- cleaning and disinfection
- safe use of sharps
- PPE
- hand/respiratory hygiene
standard precautions
the minimum requirements for the basic level of infection control
e.g. hand hygiene, PPE
additional precautions
may be required in certain circumstances e.g. the patient has a highly transmissible infection not contained by standard precautions
