Ch. 28: Infection Prevention & Control

Aerobic

Require oxygen for survival and for multiplication sufficient to cause disease. Cause more infections in humans than anaerobic organisms.

Anaerobic

Organisms that thrive where little or no free oxygen is available. Anaerobes typically cause infections deep within the pleural cavity, in a joint, or in a deep sinus tract.

Asepsis

The absence of pathogenic (disease-producing) microorganisms. Aseptic technique refers to the practices / procedures that help reduce the risk for infection.

Bactericidal

Something that destroys or kills the bacteria. Could be a temperature, cleaning agent, medicine, etc…

Bacteriostasis

Something that prevents the growth and reproduction of bacteria but does not fully kill them. Could be a temperature, cleaning agent, medicine, etc…

Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics

An antibiotic that can act on a wide variety of bacteria; non-specific

Colonization

The presence and growth of microorganisms within a host but without tissue invasion or damage

Communicable Disease

If an infectious disease can be transmitted directly from one person to another

Cough Etiquette

Teach patients, health care staff, patient’s families, and visitors about respiratory hygiene

Disinfection

Describes a process that eliminates many or all microogranisms, with the exception of bacterial spores, from inanimate objects.

• Two types of disinfection:

  1. The disinfection of surfaces

  2. High-level disinfection, which is required for some patient care items, such as endospores and bronchoscopes

Endogenous Infection

• Class of HAI

• Occurs when part of the patient’s normal flora becomes altered and an overgrowth occurs or they move to an area that is not normal

  • Staphylococci, enterococci, yeast, and streptococci

• Often happens when a patient receives broad-spectrum antibiotics that alter the normal flora

Exogenous Infection

• Class of HAI

• Comes from microorganisms outside the individual that do not exist as part of the normal human flora.

  • Ex. salmonella, clostridium tetani

Hand Hygiene

A general term that applies to four techniques: handwashing, antiseptic hand wash, antiseptic hand rub, or surgical hand antisepsis

Handwashing

Defined by the CDC as the vigorous, brief rubbing together of all surfaces of lathered hands followed by rinsing under a stream of warm water for 20 seconds.

Health Care-Associated Infections (HAIs)

Infections acquired in the healthcare setting that result from the delivery of health services in a health care agency that were done improperly / not aseptically or from contaminated equipment

• Common sites are:

  • Urinary Tract

  • Surgical / trauma wounds

  • Respiratory tract

  • Blood Stream

Iatrogenic Infections

Type of HAI caused by an invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedure.

• ex. broncoscopy causes a respiratory infection

Immunocompormised

Of a person with an impaired or non functioning immune system; more prone to infectious and often develop serious symptoms

Infection

Results when a pathogen invades tissues and begins growing within a host

Infectious

Likely to be transmitted to people, organisms, etc, through the environment

Invasive

Tending to spread prolifically and undesirably or harmfully

Localized

Of an infection that is confined to one area/body part

Medical Asepsis

• Practices and procedures used to prevent the spread of microorganisms and reduce the risk of infection

  • ex. Hand hygiene, use of PPE, and routine environmental cleaning

Multidrug-Resistant Organism (MROs)

Antimicrobial resistance shown by a species of microorganism to at least one antimicrobial durg in three or more antimicrobial categories. Extremely unwanted in the hospital setting because they often spread easily, are hard to treat, and have severe symptoms.

Pathogens

Any organism or agent that can produce disease.

Reservoir

A place where microorganisms survive, multiply, and await transfer to a susceptible host.

• Common reservoirs are humans and animals (hosts), insects, food, water, and organic matter on inanimate surfaces (fomites).

Standard Precautions

Designed to be used for the care of all patients, in all settings, regardless of risk or presumed infection status. They are the primary strategies (including barrier precautions) for prevention of infection transmission and apply to contact with blood, body fluids, nonintact skin, mucous membranes, and equipment or surfaces contaminated with potentially infectious materials.

Sterile Field

An area free of microorganisms that is prepared to receive sterile items. You prepare the field by using the inner surface of a sterile wrapper as the work surface or by using a sterile drape or dressing tray.

Sterilization

Eliminates or destroys all forms of microbial life, including spores.

• Methods include processing items using steam, dry heat, hydrogen peroxide plasma, or ethylene oxide (ETO).

Suprainfection

Develops when broad-spectrum antibiotics eliminate a wide range of normal flora organisms, not just those causing infection. Whenl flora are eliminated, body defenses are reduced, which allows disease-producing organisms to multiply which causing normal bacteria illness

Surgical Asepsis

Sterile technique that prevents contamination of an open wound, serves to isolate an operative or procedural area from an unsterile environment, and maintains a sterile field for surgery or procedural intervention. Surgical asepsis procedures used to eliminate all microorganisms, including pathogens and spores, from an object or area.

Susceptibility

How likely a person is to become infected by an infectious agent. Depends of an individual’s degree of resistance to pathogens and certain risk factors (age, nutritional status, job, sex, excercise, chronic illnesses, sleep, stress)

Systemic

Of an infection that affects the entire body; can become fatal if undetected or left untreated

Vector

Method of transmitting disease:

• External mechanical transfer: flies

• Internal transmission such as parasitic conditions between vector and host:

  • Mosquito

  • Louse

  • Flea

  • Tick

Virulence

The ability of an organism to produce disease