Infection Control & Personal Protective Equipment

Core Principle to Standard Precautions

Treat every specimen as potentially infectious

Most effective method to prevent spread of infection in healthcare is ?

Hand Hygiene

When should hand hygiene be performed?

• Before and after every patient contact

• After removing gloves

• After touching potentially contaminated surfaces

What is the preferred routine hand hygeine? What are it’s exceptions?

Alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) unless hands are visibly soiled; then use soap and water

When should gloves be changed?

Between every patient

Six links to Chain of Infection

1) Infectious Agent

2) Reservoir

3) Portal of Exit

4) Mode of Transmission

5) Portal of entry

6) Susceptible host

When and how should sharps be disposed of?

Immediately in a puncture-resistant, leak-proof, labeled sharps container after use

What is included in Biohazard wastes?

• Blood-soaked materials

• used lancets

• contaminated PPE

• any items saturated with blood or body fluids

What is included in Standard Precautions

• Hand Hygiene

• PPE use

• Safe injection and Sharps practices

• Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette

• Environmental cleaning

• Safe handling of contaminated equipment and linens

Order of Donning PPE

1) Gown

2) Mask/respirator

3) Eye protection

4) Gloves (over gown cuffs)

Order of Doffing PPE

1) Gloves

2) Eye protection

3) Gown

4) Mask

Hand hygiene immediately

Infectious Agent

The pathogen (bacteria, virus, fungus)

Reservoir

Where the pathogen lives and multiples

Portal of Exit

How the pathogen leaves the reservoir

Mode of Transmission

How the pathogen travels to a new host

Portal of Entry

How the pathogen enters a new host

Susceptible Host

A person at risk for infection

Ways of Breaking Chain of Infection; How

• Standard precautions

• PPE

• Hand hygiene

• Sharps safety

By targetting mode of transmission and portal of entry

When should sharps containers be replaced

2/3-3/4 full

Safety-engineered devices

Needles with retractable or shielding mechanisms

Leading cause of needlestick injuries

Recapping needles

What type of container should sharps be disposed in?

Puncture-resistant, leak-proof, color-coded (red), or labeled sharps container

Where should needles, lancets, and broken glass contaminated with blood be disposed?

Sharps waste

Where should blood-soaked gauze, contaminated PPE, and blood tubes be disposed?

Regulated medical waste (red biohazard bag)

Where should blood specimens, body fluid samples. and liquid waste be disposed?

Liquid waste - down laboratory drain with running water or autoclave

Where should tissue specimen and organs be disposed?

Pathological waste - special incineration or treatment

Order of Spill Cleanup Protocol

1) Notify others of spill

2) Don PPE

3) Contain spill

4) Disinfect (1:10 bleach solution)

5) Allow contact time (10-30 mins)

6) Clean up absorbent material and dispose in biohazard

7) Remove PPE and do hand hygiene

8) Document indcident

PPE Required for Contact Precautions

Gloves + gown

PPE Required for Droplet Precautions

Surgical Mask

PPE Required for Airborne precautions

N95 Respirator