Chapter 12 (78 cards)

What does 'endemic' mean?

Always present in a population.

What does 'epidemic' mean?

Disease affecting many people in a specific population.

What does 'pandemic' mean?

An epidemic affecting populations worldwide.

What is a health care–associated infection (HAI)?

An infection acquired in a health care setting.

What is another name for patient-acquired HAIs?

Nosocomial infections.

What is the most common HAI transmission method?

Health care workers’ hands.

What is infection control?

Practices designed to decrease infection transmission.

What are the four major infection-control methods?

Medical asepsis, surgical asepsis, barriers, isolation.

What is medical asepsis?

Physically removing or killing pathogens.

What are the four techniques of medical asepsis?

Sanitization, antisepsis, disinfection, sterilization.

What is sanitization?

Basic cleanliness that physically removes pathogens.

What is antisepsis?

Killing microbes or stopping their growth.

What is disinfection?

Using chemicals to kill pathogens.

Why aren’t disinfectants used on skin?

They are too strong.

What is sterilization?

The most thorough method of killing microbes.

What items require sterilization?

Objects that must be completely microbe-free.

What machine uses pressurized steam to sterilize?

An autoclave.

Is boiling an effective sterilization method?

No.

What must happen before disinfection or sterilization?

The object must be cleaned first.

Why must objects be cleaned first?

Organic material can prevent disinfectants from working.

What is the most frequently used medical asepsis technique?

Hand hygiene.

What is the most important infection-control method?

Proper, consistent hand hygiene.

What is transient flora?

Microbes picked up from people or objects.

Where does transient flora live?

On the skin’s surface.

Why is transient flora important?

It can transmit infections between people.

When should hand hygiene be performed between patients?

Before moving between patients.

When must you wash instead of using hand rub?

When hands are visibly soiled.

When must you wash after body-fluid contact?

Immediately after contact.

When should you wash when caring for C. diff?

Instead of using alcohol hand rub.

When should you perform hand hygiene around patients?

Before and after patient contact.

What should you do after using the bathroom?

Wash your hands.

Why should fingernails be kept short?

Long nails trap microbes.

What should you do if frequent washing dries your skin?

Apply lotion or hand cream.

When can alcohol-based hand rub be used?

When hands aren’t visibly soiled.

How should alcohol-based hand rub be used?

Rub over hands until completely dry.

What is surgical asepsis?

Asepsis used for procedures entering the body.

What must instruments be during surgical asepsis?

Completely sterile.

What is a barrier method?

An object preventing microbes from reaching skin.

What are examples of PPE barriers?

Gloves, gowns, masks, respirators, eyewear.

When should gloves be worn?

When body-fluid contact is possible.

When should gloves be worn during perineal care?

Always.

What should you do if gloves become contaminated?

Remove them before touching surfaces.

What should you do between glove changes?

Perform hand hygiene.

What must you always do after removing gloves?

Wash your hands.

What should latex-sensitive people use?

Nonlatex gloves.

When should a gown be worn?

When your uniform could become soiled.

When should a mask be worn?

When airborne or droplet exposure is possible.

What type of mask is required for TB?

A high-filtration respirator.

What should happen if a mask becomes wet?

Discard and replace it.

What does protective eyewear protect?

Eyes from infectious splashes.

What is the correct PPE putting-on sequence?

Gown, mask, eyewear, gloves.

What is the correct PPE removal sequence?

Gloves, eyewear, gown, mask.

Why is PPE removed in the correct sequence?

To prevent contamination.

What are isolation precautions?

Guidelines based on pathogen transmission.

What are standard precautions used with?

Every patient or resident.

What do standard precautions protect against?

Blood and body-substance pathogens.

What are transmission-based precautions?

Precautions added to standard precautions.

What are the three transmission-based precautions?

Airborne, droplet, and contact.

When are airborne precautions used?

When pathogens remain infectious in air.

What room is used for airborne precautions?

An airborne infection isolation room (AIIR).

What respiratory protection is used for airborne precautions?

A high-filtration respirator.

What diseases require airborne precautions?

TB, COVID-19, chickenpox, and measles.

When are droplet precautions used?

When pathogens spread through respiratory droplets.

What mask is used for droplet precautions?

A regular mask.

When are contact precautions used?

When pathogens spread through direct or indirect contact.

What PPE is required for contact precautions?

Gown and gloves.

What are the three newer standard-precaution elements?

Respiratory hygiene, safe injections, lumbar punctures.

What should someone with a cough do?

Cover their mouth and nose.

What is required for safe injections?

New sterile syringe and needle each time.

What should be worn during lumbar puncture assistance?

A surgical mask.

What should be used to clean blood spills?

Approved cleaner or 1:10 bleach solution.

What should never be used on blood-contaminated hands?

Alcohol-based hand rub.

Where should used sharps be discarded?

Labeled, OSHA-approved containers.

How should contaminated broken glass be handled?

Sweep or vacuum it up.

What is the CNA’s infection-control responsibility?

Protect patients, yourself, and others.

What makes infection-control techniques effective?

Proper and consistent performance.

Why should CNAs remember the person behind precautions?

Isolation can make patients feel lonely.

How can you support isolated patients emotionally?

Check frequently and take time to talk.