Infection Control Chapter 11: Hand Hygiene Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, microbial flora types, hand hygiene agents, and aseptic procedures from Chapter 11 on Infection Control.

Resident skin flora

Microorganisms that become permanent residents on skin, can exist several layers under the skin surface, and can never be totally removed even with surgical scrubbing.

Transient skin flora

Microorganisms that usually reside on the outer layers of skin, serve as a primary source of disease spread, and can be removed or greatly reduced by routine hand washing.

Plain soap and water

Handwashing agent without antimicrobial activity that removes dirt and transient microorganisms well, but has little effect on resident flora.

Healthcare handwashing products

Products containing low to medium levels of antibacterial agents that minimize the number of transient microorganisms and reduce resident bacteria.

Surgical scrub products

Hand hygiene products containing high levels of antimicrobial agents used in a more vigorous scrubbing procedure before surgical procedures.

Alcohol-based hand rubs

Quick and easy hand hygiene products used when no visible soil is present that can reduce viable bacterial counts on hands more than plain or antimicrobial soap.

Chlorhexidine digluconate

An antimicrobial agent in hand hygiene products that binds to skin and provides a prolonged release of antimicrobial activity.

Alcohols (ethanol, isopropanol, propanol)

Fast-acting, broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents used in hand hygiene products.

Mechanical action of hand washing

The physical process of washing with plain or antimicrobial soap to suspend dirt and microbes from the skin surface so they can be rinsed away with water.

Microbial multiplication under gloves

The dramatic increase of resident and/or transient flora, which can grow as great as $4000\text{-fold per hour}$ when skin is tightly covered with gloves.

Latex-degrading lotion ingredients

Lotion bases such as petroleum, lanolin, mineral oil, palm oil, or coconut oil that can breakdown the protective factor of latex gloves.

Recommended lotion ingredients

Lotion additives such as aloe vera, glycerin, vitamin E, or vitamin A that dental team members can use to prevent skin dryness without harming latex gloves.

Artificial nails restriction

A policy forbidding dental team members from wearing artificial nails because they harbor microbes.

Soap dispenser maintenance

An aseptic requirement to always empty and wash out soap dispensers before refilling so contaminants in the container are not carried over to fresh soap.

normal human skin is colonized with bacteria

up to a million aerobic bacteria per square centimeter on our scalp

total bacteria

medical/dental personnel have shown to be as high as half a million

spreading these diseases

during everyday activites especially during touching activites

hand and disease spread- hands serve as a very common means of spreading microbes and disease

main route of spread of the common cold and other respiratory diseases. hand hygiene is the primary disease prevention procedure for health care workers

during an illness, such as the flu or cold

we cough or sneeze into our hands or blow our nose, we touch surfases with contaminated hands, others touch the same surfaces and pick up the bacteria or virus on their hands, touch their nose eyes or mouth transferring the microbes to themselves

protective value of hand hygiene

hand washing protects patients and the dental team and is the primary disease prevention procedure for health care workers in dentistry and medicine

antimicrobial agents

1. alcohol

2. chlorhexidine digluconate

3. iodaphor

4. para-chlorometaxylenol

5. triclosan

6. quaternary ammonium

aspetic techniques associated with hand hygiene

1. faucets controlled by foot pedals or elbow handles

2. eletric eyes to dispense soap and water

3. plastic surface barriers for faucets and handles

4. no soap bars

when to perform hand hygiene at work

1. beginning and end of the day

2. when hands are visibly dirty

3. before donning and after removing gloves

4. before eating of handling food

5. before leaving the restroom

6. after bare handed touching contaminated surfaces