What is on my Hands? Why Should I Wash Them? (U1) Flashcards
What is colonization?
Process where strains of MO become resident flora, MOs may grow/multiply without causing disease
What’s normal (hand washing)?
Hospitalized patient with skin may become colonized with multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens
What are the two types of bacteria
Transient and resident
What is transient bacteria?
- Non permanent
- Lives on surface
- Killed with handwashing
- Acquired by contact with normal flora/colonized or infected sites of a patient or inanimate environment
- Recent contaminants
- Limited survival time
- Found on superficial skin surface
- Majority disease causing bacteria with this category
What is resident bacteria?
Normal flora
- Permanent inhabitants
- Normally live on skin
- Survives and multiples
- Found deeper layers of skin/skin crevices
- Complete sterilization= impossible
What are nosocomial infections?
Infection acquired in hospital
- Due to presence of MOs
- Potentially resistant to antibodies
- Many reservoirs
- Transmitted via HCP (in)directly
What can nosocomial infections lead to?
- Increased healthcare cost
- Extended hospital stays
- Prolonged recovery time
Sources of nosocomial infections?
Exogenous source, endogenous source, iatrogenic infection
What is endogenous source?
MOs that cause nosocomial infections and originate from clients themselves
What is exogenous source?
MOs that cause nosocomial infections and originate from hospital environment/person
Iatrogenic infection definition?
Occurs as a result of a treatment/diagnostic procedure
- Most bacteria acquired from hospital
How long should you wash your hands for?
Two minutes
