Chapter 2 Review - Safety & Infection Control

Vocabulary flashcards covering safety precautions, ergonomics, SDS, body mechanics, pathogens, and the chain of infection from Chapter 2 Review.

Protocol for Unfamiliar Equipment

Asking a supervisor for instruction or reading the manual before using equipment that a healthcare worker is unfamiliar with.

Ergonomics

Designing the workplace to fit the worker in order to prevent injuries such as muscle strain and repetitive strain injury.

Guidelines for Preventing Falls

Practices to prevent falls in a healthcare facility, including cleaning up spills immediately, avoiding throw rugs, keeping the call light within reach, and keeping pathways clear.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

A document that provides information to healthcare workers by listing chemical ingredients, hazards, and first aid steps.

Body Mechanics

Using your body correctly to move things, which is important for preventing back injuries.

Wheelchair Patient Transfer Safety

Steps to safely transfer a patient into a wheelchair, including locking the wheelchair wheels, using a transfer belt, and ensuring the bed is low.

Foodborne Illness Prevention

Methods to prevent foodborne illness and cross-contamination, including washing hands before handling food, sanitizing surfaces, maintaining proper temperatures, and keeping raw food separate from cooked food.

Pathogen

A microorganism that causes disease.

Six Major Types of Pathogens

Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi, Protozoa, Prions, and Helminths.

Bacteria

Single-celled germs that multiply fast; improper antibiotic use creates problems such as antibiotic resistance and superbugs.

Chain of Infection

A sequence of links required for infection to spread: 1. Infectious Agent (germ), 2. Reservoir (where it lives), 3. Portal of Exit (how it leaves), 4. Mode of Transmission (how it travels), 5. Portal of Entry (how it enters), and 6. Susceptible Host (who gets sick).

Breaking the Chain of Infection

Interrupting specific links in the chain, such as using antibiotics for the Infectious Agent, washing hands for the Reservoir, and wearing a mask at the Portal of Entry.