OTA 206: Ch.3_ Infection Control and Safety Issues in the Clinic

Flashcards reviewing safety, infection control, emergency procedures, and equipment precautions from Chapter 3 outline.

Generic Safety Recommendations

Common sense recommendations used consistently in healthcare settings to prevent accidents and subsequent injuries.

OTA Patient Set-Up Responsibility

The requirement for OTAs to be aware of a patient's set-up prior to treatment and leave them with an improved or same set-up upon leaving.

Standard Precautions

Infection control guidelines used for all patients that apply to all body fluids, broken skin, and mucous membranes to protect healthcare workers from infectious diseases such as HIV, AIDs, or Hepatitis B Virus (HBV).

Transmission-based Precautions

Infection control guidelines used for patients who have an identified infection, applying to all body fluids, broken skin, and mucous membranes.

OSHA Regulations

Occupational guidelines requiring employee education on disease transmission, provision of PPE, waste disposal containers, warning labels, and HBV vaccines.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Adequate protective equipment provided by employers under OSHA regulations, which employees must know where to locate.

Hepatitis B Vaccine

A vaccine offered under OSHA regulations to employees who are at risk of exposure to HBV.

Occupational Health or Infection Control Nurse

Dedicated staff required by OSHA to provide education and follow-up care to employees exposed to communicable diseases.

OSHA Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

A document containing information on potential health, fire, reactivity, and environmental hazards, as well as safe handling instructions for a chemical product.

Decontamination

A physical or chemical process of removing or inactivating pathogens on a surface to the point where they will not transmit infectious particles.

Sterilization

A process used to destroy all forms of microbial life, including highly resistant bacterial spores.

Sterilization Methods

Methods used to achieve sterilization, including steam under pressure, ethylene oxide, dry heat, and immersion in sterilizing chemicals.

Disinfectants

Agents used to clean environmental surfaces and reusable instruments, requiring gloves to be worn when applying liquid forms.

Isolation Systems

Placing a patient in a room alone or with one other person with the same communicable disease to reduce transmission risk.

Protective Isolation

Isolation procedures implemented when a patient is more susceptible to infection, requiring visitors/staff to wear protective clothing.

Donning vs. Doffing Sequence

In protective isolation, the sequence of putting on (donning) equipment is considered more important than taking it off (doffing).

Protective Isolation Candidates

Patients who are highly susceptible to infection, such as burn, immunocompromised, leukemia, cancer, and transplant patients.

OTA Actions for Patient Injury

Immediate steps required when a patient is injured: ask for help, do not leave the patient alone, prevent further injury, and provide emergency care.

Emergency Codes

Hospital emergency signals such as "code blue", "rapid response", and "code silver".

Incident Documentation Requirements

Post-incident requirements including notifying a supervisor, filing an incident report per institution policy, avoiding discussion with the patient/relatives, and not admitting negligence.

Fall Response Technique

Lowering a patient gently to the ground instead of attempting to keep them upright during a fall.

First-Degree Burns

Minor burns likely to occur in OT practice that can be treated with basic first aid procedures.

Bleeding Control Objective

The clinical objective when dealing with bleeding: to prevent contamination and control the bleeding.

Shock Signs and Symptoms

Clinical manifestations including pale, moist, cool skin; shallow, irregular breathing; dilated pupils; a weak or rapid pulse; and dizziness or nausea.

Seizure Causes

Triggers that may result in seizures, including a specific disorder, brain injury, or medication.

Seizure Manifestations

Variable presentation of seizures ranging from subtle staring off in space and breathing changes to full convulsions.

OTA Seizure Bed Safety

The OTA duty to ensure that seizure pads on the bed are placed at the end of treatment.

Causes of Insulin Related Illnesses

Factors causing insulin illness, including too much systemic insulin, too little food or sugar intake, or too much physical activity.

Conscious Patient Insulin Illness Treatment

Intervention for a conscious patient with insulin illness, consisting of eating candy or drinking orange juice.

Unconscious Patient Insulin Illness Treatment

Intervention for an unconscious patient with insulin illness, consisting of receiving glucose through an IV.

Acidosis

A condition that can lead to diabetic coma and eventual death if untreated, usually managed with an insulin injection.

BLS Training

Basic Life Support training received during Semester II to handle incidents of choking and cardiac arrest.

Bedsores (Decubitus Ulcers)

Ulcers caused by staying in one position for too long.

Decubitus Ulcer Risk Conditions

Conditions requiring special attention due to bedsore risk: impaired sensation, paralysis, poor skin integrity, poor nutrition, impaired circulation, and spasticity.

Positioning Restrictions Verification

Checking with nursing staff regarding patient restrictions on how long they can stay in a particular position.

Hospital Beds

Electric or manual beds where top and bottom sections, or the whole bed, can be individually raised and lowered.

Side Rails Classification

Hospital bed features that are now officially considered a restraint.

Ventilators

Devices that move gas or air into the patient's lungs to maintain adequate air exchange when normal respiration is decreased.

Ventilator Communication Strategy

Asking questions that require only a head nod or shake because equipment tubing interferes with verbal communication.

Monitors

Devices used to track the physiologic state of a patient requiring special care.

Feeding Devices

Devices used for individuals who have difficulty swallowing, chewing, or ingesting food, including NG tube, G tube, TPN, and IV line.

Nasogastric (NG) Tube

A specific type of feeding device inserted through the nose to support patients unable to swallow, chew, or ingest food normally.

Gastrostomy (G) Tube

A feeding device providing direct stomach access for patients with swallowing or ingestion difficulties.

Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN)

An intravenous feeding method and device used when traditional food ingestion or swallowing is impaired.

Catheter Bag Types

Urinary drainage bags available as a leg collection bag or a larger collection bag hung on a walker or bed side.

Catheter Tubing Handling Rules

Precautions to avoid disrupting or stretching the drainage tube, and to avoid putting tension on the tubing or catheter.

Catheter Bag Elevation Rule

Safety guideline specifying not to allow the catheter collection bag to be placed above bladder level for more than a few minutes.

Catheter Transport Rule

Safety rule stating that the catheter bag must not be placed in the patient's lap during transport.

Catheter Urine Observations to Report

Urine characteristics requiring reporting to a physician or nurse: foul-smelling, cloudy, dark, bloody urine, or reduced urine flow/production.

Indwelling Catheter Complication

Infection, which serves as a major complication for individuals using catheters, especially indwelling catheters.