Gillian Knoll - Copy of Infection Control and Specimen Collection Review
Infection Control and Specimen Collection Review
1. What is a Healthcare-Associated Infection?
Infections that develop at least 48 hours after hospitalization
2. 1 in every 25 patients admitted to the hospital will develop a HAI?
3. Describe Medical Asepsis and list 2 examples:
Techniques that prevent growth and transmission of pathogenic microorganisms
Hand hygiene, changing a patient's bed linen
4. Describe Surgical Asepsis and list 2 examples:
Techniques designed to kill all microorganisms, known as sterile technique
Operating room, urinary catheter
5. List signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia?
Hyperglycemia: dry mouth, increased thirst, blurred vision, weakness, headache, and frequent urination
Hypoglycemia: sleepiness, sweating, pallor, lack of coordination, irritability, and hunger
6. What are some examples of disinfectants?
Vinegar, lysol, bleach, and rubbing alcohol
7. Describe general isolation and list examples given in notes:
A patient who is separated away from others because they are contagious
TB, MRSA, Chicken pox, C. diff
8. Describe protective isolation and list examples given in notes:
Protects patients with weak immune systems from pathogens that may be present in others
Burn patients, chemo patients, and transplant patients
9. Explain what a clean-catch midstream urine specimen is:
Its used to remove microorganisms from the urinary meatus by cleansing around the urinary meatus and flushing out the distal portion of the urethra collected from the middle of the urinary stream, use sterile container
10. When is the best time to obtain a sputum sample from a patient?
Early in the morning, before the patient has cleared their respiratory passages
11. List and define the 4 types of pathogens:
Bacteria: multiply quickly, cell wall is weak, easy to treat with med (antibiotics)
Viruses: smallest pathogen, grows inside living cells making it difficult to treat
Fungi: plant like, likes dark moist areas such as mouth, skin, feet, and vagina
Parasites: living organisms that live on or in the body
12. What type of pathogen is normally treated with antibiotics?
bacteria
13. What is the single most important and basic preventative technique you can
use to decrease the spread of infection?
Washing hands with soap and water
14. Label the infection with the correct type of pathogen:
Thrush MRSA Lice
Fungi bacteria parasites
Malaria Athlete’s Foot Influenza
Parasites fungi virus
Roundworm Hep. C Giardia
Parasites virus parasites
HIV/AIDS Strep Throat Chicken Pox and Shingles
Virus bacteria virus
Ringworm UTI
Fungi bacteria
15. List the 6 principles of sterile technique:
- A sterile object remains sterile only when touched exclusively by other sterile objects
- Place only sterile objects on a sterile field
- Sterile field outside of range or an object held below the waist is contaminated, do not turn back or leave unattended
- Sterile objects or field becomes contaminated by prolonged exposure to air
- When sterile surface becomes wet, sterile objects or field is contaminated
- Consider edges or sterile field to be contaminated, one inch border
16. List the signs/symptoms of inflammation/infection:
edema(swelling), redness heat, pain, tenderness, fevor, pus
17. What do you need to include when labeling a specimen container?
Patients name, DOB, med record number, date, time, and initials of person who collected it
18. Describe the 6 elements of the chain of infection:
Infectious Agent: The chain begins with a pathogen called the infectious agent or causative agent
Reservoir: The infectious agent must find a reservoir, or a place for the infectious agent to live and grow. A reservoir could be a human, an animal, any surface, or object
Portal of Exit: The pathogen must have a portal of exit to leave the reservoir. In humans, pathogens can leave the body through blood bodily fluids, or excrement
Mode of Transmission: Once the pathogen leaves the reservoir, it must be moved to another reservoir to continue living and growing.
Portal of Entry: The pathogen must have access to a portal of entry where the pathogen will enter the new reservoir.
Host: If the new reservoir has week defenses, it will contract the disease or infection
19. Give examples of direct and indirect transmission:
Direct: touching any body fluids, kissing, sexual conatact, bur or animal bit
Indirect: air, food, H2O, objects, clothing, blood transfusions
20. Describe Tuberculosis Isolation:
Isolations is mandatory in a negative pressure airflow room, door must remain closed, N-95 particle respirator mask is required
21. Describe Airborne Isolation:
Diseases spread by airborne droplets smaller than 5 microns in diameter
22. Describe Droplet Isolation:
Used for infectious spread via droplets larger than 5 microns in diameter
23. Describe Contact Isolation:
Pathogens that are spread by direct or indirect contact
24. a. Describe Universal/Standard Precautions:
Practices where everyone's blood and body fluids are considered infected
b. What is the goal of CDC guidelines for universal (standard) precautions?
Guidelines interrupt the chain of infection and reduce transmission of bloodborne pathogens
25. What is occult blood?
Undetectable blood in the stool from the intestinal tract
26. How do you dispose of a used sharp? List some examples of items you
would place in a sharps container:
Sharps should be placed in puncture proof, biohazardous waste containers
Needles, contaminated syringes, scalpels
27. What temperature should urine be for a urinalysis?
Room temp
28. How much stool should be collected for a stool specimen?
Two tablespoons
29. By what modes are HIV and Hepatitis B and C transmitted?
Blood and secretions