Infection Control

What does clean mean?

a state of minimized infectious organisms

What does soiled mean?

the presence of pathogens or the possibility of exposure to pathogens

What is a pathogen?

an organism that can cause disease

How are pathogens classified?

according to the nature of the organism

Can forms of an organism be nonpathogenic?

yes

What is clean technique?

efforts to reduce the number of infectious organisms in the clinal setting

What is sterile technique?

specialized process designed to eliminate pathogens from medical equipment, surfaces, and environments

What are isolation procedures?

a practice of policies & procedures to control infection

What is another term for isolation procedures?

standard precautions

What are the rules of isolation procedures?

-have a basis that has good outcomes

-emphasize the importance of all body fluids in the transmission of infectious agents

-contain adequate precautions for infections transmitted by airborne, droplet, and contact

-be simple to understand and use

-use new terms to avoid confusion

What is HAI?

Healthcare-associated infection; infections acquired in a healthcare setting

What are nosocomial infections?

infections acquired in the hospital

What can decrease the rate of HAI among patients in long-term acute hospitals?

less clutter in hospital rooms

What 3 elements do infections require?

-source of infecting infectious agents

-susceptible host

-means of transmission

What are the 6 requirements of the cycle of infection?

-the existence of a pathogen

-a source

-means to leave the source

-a mode of transmission

-a way to enter the host

-a susceptible host

What are the 5 categories of pathogens?

bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, prions

What are the sources of most pathogens in the US?

inanimate objects and people

What is bacteria?

one-celled organism without a nucleus

What is a virus?

made of nucleic acid and capable of growing and reproducing only after infecting a host cell

What is fungi?

single-celled or multi-celled yeast, mold, or mushroom

What are parasites?

organism that lives on, in, or at the expense of a host organism and causes harm

What are prions?

abnormal disease producing proteins similar to viruses but no nucleic acid

What are MRDOs?

multidrug-resistant organisms; organisms (usually bacteria) that have developed resistance to one or more antibiotics

How do facilities keep visitors from spreading infections?

-screening them

-encourage good hand and respiratory hygiene

-restricting visitation times

-having visitor wear face mask

What are the ways of transmission?

-contact

-droplet

-airborne

-common vehicle

-vectorborn

What is direct contact transmission?

physical transfer of pathogens directly from one person to another

What is indirect contact transmission?

physical transfer of pathogens by the host touching an object or uninfected person and the pathogen passes on to it

What is a bloodborne pathogen?

infection transferred through blood

What does kneeling or sitting on a patient's bed to assist with balance or support risk?

indirect transmission of pathogens to other individuals

What is droplet transmission?

coughing, sneezing, and talking; do not stay airborne but land on skin/wound

What is airborne transmission?

tiny droplets that remain in the air for some time or dust particles

What is common vehicle transmission?

food, water, medication, devices, and equipment

What is vectorborne transmission?

mosquitoes, flies, rats, etc

Do all people exposed to a pathogen become infected?

no

What are common factors that make you more susceptible to pathogens?

-age

-disease

-transplantation

-medications

-procedures

-indwelling devices

What is PPE?

personal protective equipment

What is hand hygiene?

the cleaning of or antimicrobial action on the hands

When should you wash your hands?

-before touching a patient

-before clean/aseptic procedure

-after body fluid or dirt exposure

-after touching a patient

-after touching a patients surroundings

-in the presence of infections

-after multiple applications of hand rub (10)

What are examples of PPE?

-gloves

-gown

-goggles

-mask

-shoe cover

-hair cover

How long should you wash your hands?

20 seconds

What are common mistakes of hand hygiene?

-cleaning too little time

-overlooking areas (back of hands, thumb, between fingers)

-turning faucet off with bare hands

-not allowing hands to dry after hand rub

What is respiratory hygiene?

cough etiquette

What are examples of good respiratory hygiene?

-covering your mouth and nose with tissue or a sleeve of the elbow

-hand hygiene afterward

-moving 6ft or more away from other when possible

-wearing a facemask in healthcare setting when you have increase respiratory secretions

Which group is most affected by latex allergy?

healthcare worker

What should you do if you have a latex allergy?

where non-latex or powder-free gloves

How should you communicate when wearing a mask?

-face the person and have their attention

-raise the volume of your voice without shouting at them

-minimize background noise

-use body language

-consider alternative forms of communication

-check for understanding

-be patient

What are the standard precaution guidelines?

-hand hygiene

-PPE

-respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette

-patient-care equipment & instruments devices

-care of the enviornment

-textiles & laundry

How affective is hand hygiene and PPE?

only as effective as their implementation

What is BBE?

Bare Below the Elbows; policy to reduce indirect contact infection by contact with clinical attire

When are surfaces considered soiled and need to be cleaned?

once the area has been exposed to possible contaminants

What is PPE for contact precautions?

hand hygiene, gloves, and gown

What is PPE for droplet precautions?

-mask

-eye protection

-patient transport

-before leaving the room: hand hygiene, remove eye protection then mask, hand hygiene again

What is PPE for airborne precautions?

N95 mask

How often should scrub suits/gowns be worn?

once then discarded

What is the proper wear of a mask?

not lowered and reapplied, should cover, both nose and mouth, used only once then discarded

When do PT often wear eye protection?

wound care

What are transmission-based precautions?

contact, droplet, and airborne precautions

What are enteric precautions?

precautions for when a patient has an active infection from C. diff

What are particulate respirators?

face masks designed to filter particulate matter in the air better than standard masks

How is SARS-CoV-2 (pathogen causing covid) transmitted?

contact, droplet, and sometimes airborne transmission

What is donning?

putting on PPE

What is doffing?

taking off PPE

What is the order of donning PPE?

-hand hygiene

-don gown

-don face mask/respirator

-don goggles/face shield

-don gloves

What is the one order of doffing PPE?

-doff gloves

-doff goggles/face shield

-doff gown

-doff mask/respirator

-hand hygiene

What is another order of doffing PPE?

-doff gown/gloves

-doff goggles/face shield

-doff face mask/respirator

-hand hygiene

What is cross-contamination?

using previously used instrument on another area or allowing fluid to flow from one area to another

What is the sterile field?

an area free of microorganisms and prepared to receive sterile items

What happens if you accidentally contaminate a sterile area?

the field must be re-established

What should you be sure to check for on sterile items?

expiration dates

What is a protective environment?

a patient is extremely immunocompromised and requires protective isolation

Can you determine if a surface is clean by visual inspection only?

no

What are ways that pathogens can exit the body?

-blood

-respiratory secretions

-excretion

-openings in the skin

How do you prevent infection from spreading?

breaking the cycle of infection

What excretion is not a potential source of infection?

sweat

What is sharps disposal?

any instrument capable of puncturing the skin must be discarded in "sharps" container

Where should you leave patient care equipment?

in the patient's room

What is a good rule of thumb when donning and doffing PPE?

clean to clean and dirty to dirty

What are protective precautions for children?

-immunized staff

-limited visitation

-cleaning/disinfecting of shared toys

What are the psychosocial aspects of isolation?

-increase stress

-anger

-helplessness

-anxiety/depression

When should standard precautions be used?

with all patients