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Questions and Answers
Which of the following microorganisms qualifies as an infection agent?
Which of the following microorganisms qualifies as an infection agent?
What describes medical asepsis?
What describes medical asepsis?
Which situation indicates the need for surgical asepsis?
Which situation indicates the need for surgical asepsis?
What happens when a sterile object touches a contaminated object?
What happens when a sterile object touches a contaminated object?
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Which of the following is NOT a principle of surgical asepsis?
Which of the following is NOT a principle of surgical asepsis?
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Which of the following best describes how contamination can occur?
Which of the following best describes how contamination can occur?
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What should be avoided to maintain a sterile field?
What should be avoided to maintain a sterile field?
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Which of these conditions indicates that a package is UNSTERILE?
Which of these conditions indicates that a package is UNSTERILE?
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What occurs when a sterile surface contacts a wet contaminated surface?
What occurs when a sterile surface contacts a wet contaminated surface?
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Which statement accurately describes the edges of a sterile field or container?
Which statement accurately describes the edges of a sterile field or container?
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What is the first step in pouring a sterile solution according to standard protocol?
What is the first step in pouring a sterile solution according to standard protocol?
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What defines a communicable disease?
What defines a communicable disease?
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During which stage of the infectious process does the first symptom appear?
During which stage of the infectious process does the first symptom appear?
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What type of pathogen is characterized as normally living on a person's skin and not easily removed?
What type of pathogen is characterized as normally living on a person's skin and not easily removed?
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What is the main process involved in disinfection?
What is the main process involved in disinfection?
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What is the result of septicemia?
What is the result of septicemia?
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What is the primary goal of sterilization?
What is the primary goal of sterilization?
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Which method of sterilization is considered the most dependable?
Which method of sterilization is considered the most dependable?
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What is a major disadvantage of gas sterilization?
What is a major disadvantage of gas sterilization?
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Which factor is NOT considered in the selection of a sterilization or disinfection method?
Which factor is NOT considered in the selection of a sterilization or disinfection method?
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What is a characteristic of dry heat sterilization?
What is a characteristic of dry heat sterilization?
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Which of the following is true about concurrent disinfection?
Which of the following is true about concurrent disinfection?
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What is a common use of chlorine in disinfection?
What is a common use of chlorine in disinfection?
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What is the primary purpose of barriers in infection control?
What is the primary purpose of barriers in infection control?
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Which areas of the gown are considered sterile for nurses?
Which areas of the gown are considered sterile for nurses?
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What is one approved method for disposing of liquid body fluids?
What is one approved method for disposing of liquid body fluids?
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Which color-coded trashcan is used for non-biodegradable or recyclable items?
Which color-coded trashcan is used for non-biodegradable or recyclable items?
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What is the recommended action after direct contact with blood or body fluids?
What is the recommended action after direct contact with blood or body fluids?
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Which item must never be recapped according to safety guidelines?
Which item must never be recapped according to safety guidelines?
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What is an essential practice to prevent injuries with sharp devices?
What is an essential practice to prevent injuries with sharp devices?
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Which of the following types of waste is not classified as infectious waste?
Which of the following types of waste is not classified as infectious waste?
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What procedure should be followed before reusing equipment on another patient?
What procedure should be followed before reusing equipment on another patient?
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What is the primary function of a mask in a healthcare setting?
What is the primary function of a mask in a healthcare setting?
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What should be done when a mask becomes moist?
What should be done when a mask becomes moist?
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How often should a mask be changed during use?
How often should a mask be changed during use?
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What is the main reason for wearing a gown in a healthcare setting?
What is the main reason for wearing a gown in a healthcare setting?
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What is the recommended method for picking up and removing a used mask?
What is the recommended method for picking up and removing a used mask?
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What is a critical consideration when applying gloves?
What is a critical consideration when applying gloves?
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What is the purpose of a sterile gown in an operating room?
What is the purpose of a sterile gown in an operating room?
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Why should talking be minimized while wearing a mask?
Why should talking be minimized while wearing a mask?
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Study Notes
Infection
- An invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in the body that causes harm.
Infection Agents
- Bacteria: Single-celled organisms that can cause a variety of diseases.
- Viruses: Tiny particles that can only replicate inside the cells of living organisms.
- Fungi: Microscopic organisms that can cause infections such as athlete's foot and ringworm.
- Protozoa: Single-celled organisms that can cause diseases like malaria and amoebic dysentery.
Concept of Asepsis
- Absence of disease-producing microorganisms (pathogens).
Types of Asepsis
- Medical Asepsis: Clean technique, reducing pathogens but not eliminating them, used in daily practices.
- Surgical Asepsis: Sterile technique, eliminating all microorganisms from an object or area, used in procedures that involve penetrating the skin or entering sterile body cavities.
Indications for Using Sterile Technique
- Procedures that involve intentional perforation of the client's skin.
- Situations where the skin's integrity is broken due to trauma, surgical incision, or burns.
- Procedures involving insertion of catheters or surgical instruments into sterile body cavities.
Principles of Surgical Asepsis
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Sterile objects remain sterile only when touched by another sterile object:
- Sterile touching sterile remains sterile.
- Sterile touching clean becomes contaminated.
- Sterile touching contaminated becomes contaminated.
- Only sterile objects may be placed on a sterile field: All items must be properly sterilized before use.
- A sterile object or field out of the range of vision or below waist level is contaminated: Keep sterile objects in clear view and above the waist.
- A sterile object or field becomes contaminated by prolonged exposure to air: Minimize air movement and rearrangements of sterile objects.
- A sterile surface comes in contact with a wet, non-sterile surface: Moisture can transfer microorganisms.
- Fluid flow in the direction of gravity: Contaminated liquids can flow onto sterile surfaces.
- The edges of a sterile field or container are considered contaminated: A 1-inch border around a sterile field is considered non-sterile.
Terminologies
- Sepsis: Presence of infection.
- Septicemia: Blood poisoning, a serious condition with infection in the bloodstream.
- Carrier: A person who harbors a pathogen but shows no symptoms of the disease.
- Contact: Transmission of microorganisms through direct or indirect contact.
Types of Pathogens
- Resident pathogens: Microorganisms that normally live on a person's skin and are not easily removed by handwashing.
- Transient pathogens (flora or bacteria): Microorganisms that are picked up from the environment and can be removed by handwashing.
Reservior
- Any person, animal, plant, substance, or object that can harbor infectious agents.
Sterilization
- The complete destruction of all microorganisms, including spores, using methods such as heat, radiation, or chemicals.
Disinfection
- The process of destroying or inactivating pathogens from inanimate objects, but not necessarily their spores.
Disinfectant
- A chemical substance that destroys pathogens on inanimate objects.
Antiseptic
- A chemical substance that destroys pathogens on living tissue.
Bactericidal
- A substance that kills bacteria.
Bacteriostatic
- A substance that inhibits the growth of bacteria.
Contamination
- The process of rendering something unclean or unsterile.
Communicable Disease
- A disease that can be transmitted from one person to another.
Infectious Disease
- A disease caused by the invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in a host.
Pathogenicity
- The ability of a microorganism to cause disease.
Virulence
- The vigor with which an organism can grow and multiply.
Nosocomial Infections
- Infections acquired in a healthcare setting.
Iatrogenic Infection
- Infections that are a result of medical treatment or procedures.
Types of Nosocomial Infections
- Exogenous infection: Infection acquired from microorganisms outside the body.
- Endogenous infection: Infection acquired from microorganisms already present in the body.
Isolation
- Separation of persons with communicable diseases from others to prevent transmission.
Isolation Techniques
- Practices used to prevent or limit the spread of infection.
Etiology
- The cause of a disease.
Stages of Infectious Process (Course of Infection by Stage)
- Incubation period: Time between the pathogen entering the body and the appearance of symptoms.
- Prodromal period: Time when nonspecific symptoms appear, indicating the onset of the infection.
- Illness Period: Time when specific symptoms of the infection appear.
- Convalescent period: Time when the body recovers from the infection.
Sterilization
- The complete destruction of all microorganisms, including spores.
- Items introduced into sterile tissues or the vascular system must be sterile, including surgical instruments, catheters, IV fluids, needles, etc.
Factors to be Considered in the Selection of Sterilization or Disinfection Method
- Nature of organisms present.
- Number of organisms present.
- Types of equipment.
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Intended use of equipment:
- Medical asepsis: Clean technique.
- Surgical asepsis: Sterile Technique.
- Available means of sterilization and disinfection.
Methods of Sterilization
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Steam sterilization (steam under pressure): Most dependable and practical method for destroying all forms of microbial life.
- Autoclaving is sterilization using super-saturated steam under pressure.
- It is non-toxic, inexpensive, sporicidal, and penetrates fabrics rapidly.
- Check the color indicator and packaging integrity.
- Boiling Water: Advantage is inexpensive and simple. Disadvantages are that it does not kill all spores and some materials can be damaged by prolonged boiling.
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Gas sterilization: Uses ethylene oxide gas that can penetrate plastics, rubber, cotton, and other substances.
- This method is expensive, requires a long time (2-5 hours), and the gas is toxic to humans.
- Articles must be aerated after sterilization to remove the gas.
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Dry heat: Works by burning microorganisms using high temperatures.
- Used for objects that are damaged by moisture, such as glassware and metal instruments.
- Has lower penetration ability than moist heat and requires higher temperatures and longer times.
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Radiation: Uses radiation to sterilize objects.
- Types include gamma radiation and electron beam radiation.
- Used for pharmaceuticals, foods, plastics, and other heat-sensitive items.
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Chemicals: Used for disinfecting surfaces, but not all can be used on living tissue.
- The most commonly used chemicals include chlorine, alcohol, and iodine.
Types of Disinfection
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Concurrent disinfection: Ongoing practices performed in the care of a client to limit the spread of microorganisms.
- This includes disinfecting supplies and the immediate environment.
- Terminal disinfection: Done after a client is discharged to ensure their environment is free of pathogens.
Breaking the Chain of Infection
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Use of Barriers: Techniques that prevent the transfer of pathogens from one person to another.
- Commonly used barriers include masks, gloves, gowns, caps, shoe coverings, private rooms, and waterproof disposable bags.
- Mask: Protects the nurse/midwife from inhaling microorganisms from a client's respiratory tract.
- Gloves: Protect hands from acquiring infectious organisms.
- Gown: Prevents soiling clothes during contact with the client.
- Private room: Decreases the chance of transmission of infection.
Categories of Institutional Waste
- Infectious waste: Includes blood, body fluids, and contaminated items.
- Injurious waste: Includes sharps and other objects that can cause injury.
- Hazardous waste: Includes chemicals, radioactive materials, and other substances that pose a risk to health or the environment.
Recommendation for Waste Disposal
- Incineration or autoclaving: Most common methods for infectious waste.
- Liquid body fluids: Can be flushed down a drain connected to a sewer system.
- Separate containers: Blood, contaminated items, and sharps should be disposed of in separate containers.
Color Code of Segregation
- Black: Trashcan for wet, biodegradable items.
- Yellow: Trashcan for non-biodegradable/recyclable items.
Breaking the Chain of Infection: Isolation System
- Techniques used to prevent or limit the spread of infection.
- Includes standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, and protective isolation.
Standard Precautions
- Wear clean gloves when touching: Blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, or contaminated items.
- Perform handwashing: Immediately after contact with blood or body fluids, between patient contacts, and after removing gloves.
- Wear a mask, eye protection, and face shield: During procedures or activities likely to generate splashes or sprays of blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions.
- Wear a gown: During procedures or activities that could result in contact with blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions.
- Remove soiled protective items promptly: When the potential for contact with reservoirs of pathogens is no longer present.
- Clean and reprocess all equipment before reuse: To prevent transmission of infection.
- Discard single-use items promptly: In appropriate containers to prevent contact with blood.
Prevention of Needle Stick Injuries
- Never recap, bend, or break used needles.
- Never point the needle toward a body part.
- Use a one-handed "scoop" method to recap needles.
- Deposit disposable and reusable syringes and needles in puncture-resistant containers.
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Description
This quiz covers the basics of infection, various infectious agents including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa, as well as the concept and types of asepsis. Learn about medical and surgical asepsis, and their applications in healthcare settings. Test your understanding of these crucial concepts in infection control.
