Infection Control Policies Quiz & Flashcards

Study Notes

Infection Control

Infection control prevents or stops the spread of infections in healthcare settings.
Germs are a part of everyday life and are found in air, soil, water, and in and on our bodies.
Only a small portion of germs are known to cause infection.

How Infections Occur

An infection occurs when germs enter the body, increase in number, and cause a reaction of the body.
Three things are necessary for an infection to occur:
- Source: places where infectious agents live (e.g. sinks, surfaces, human skin).
- Susceptible person: with a way for germs to enter the body.
- Transmission: a way germs are moved to the susceptible person.

Chain of Infections

The chain of infection is the process by which a pathogen spreads from one host to the next.
The six links in the chain of infection are:
- Infectious agent (pathogen): agents that can cause infection or an infectious disease (e.g. bacteria, viruses, parasites).
- Reservoir: where germs live (e.g. people, animals, food, soil, water).
- Portal of exit: how germs get out (e.g. mouth, cuts in the skin, stool and urine).
- Mode of transmission: how germs are transmitted (e.g. direct contact, indirect contact, droplets).
- Portal of entry: how germs get in (e.g. mouth, cuts in the skin, eyes).
- Susceptible host: vulnerable or immunocompromised person (e.g. babies, children, elderly, etc.).

Standard Precautions for All Patient Care

Standard precautions are based on a risk assessment and make use of common sense practices and personal protective equipment use.
Hand hygiene is a simple yet effective way to prevent infections.
Hand washing for 20 seconds is an effective way to prevent infection.
On average, healthcare providers clean their hands less than half of the times they should.

Standard Precautions for Healthcare Workers

Perform hand hygiene.
Use personal protective equipment (PPE).
Follow respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette.
Ensure appropriate patient placement.
Properly handle and properly clean and disinfect patient care equipment and instruments/devices.
Ensure health worker safety, including proper handling of needles and other sharps.

Transmission-Based Precautions

Transmission-based precautions are the second tier of basic infection control.
They are used in addition to standard precautions for patients who may be infected or colonized with certain infectious agents.
They prevent infection transmission and are used for patients who may be infected or colonized with certain infectious agents.

Description

Learn about infection control and how to prevent the spread of infections in healthcare settings. This quiz provides an overview of how infections spread, ways to prevent them, and detailed recommendations based on the type of healthcare setting.