Infection Control and Microbiology
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary purpose of universal infection control precautions?

To treat all patients as potential bio-hazards and ensure safety for patients, staff, and colleagues.

List three components of universal precautions that help prevent infections.

Hand washing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and isolation.

Identify a common nosocomial infection caused by Staphylococci.

Wound infections.

Why is hand hygiene considered a critical practice in infection control?

<p>It helps eliminate pathogens and reduce the risk of transmission of infections.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of education in the infection control program?

<p>To inform hospital staff about infection control methods and promote safe practices.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Describe a method used in outbreak investigation.

<p>Gathering data on infection cases to identify the source and prevent further spread.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the responsibilities of the infection control program regarding policy development?

<p>To create written policies that promote isolation and reduce infection risks from patient care practices.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How can waste disposal practices contribute to infection control?

<p>Proper waste disposal minimizes the risk of contamination and transmission of infections.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the single most effective action to prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs)?

<p>Hand washing is the single most effective action to prevent HAIs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to Taylor (1978), which areas of the hands are most often missed during hand washing?

<p>The finger-tips, finger-webs, palms, and thumbs are often missed.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct method for washing hands with soap and water?

<p>Wet hands, apply soap, rub for about 20 seconds, rinse, and dry with a disposable towel.</p> Signup and view all the answers

When should alcohol-based hand rubs be used?

<p>Alcohol-based hand rubs should be used when hands are not visibly soiled.</p> Signup and view all the answers

List two types of personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended during potential contamination with blood or body fluids.

<p>Disposable gloves and face masks are two types of recommended PPE.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one method to prevent sharps injuries in a healthcare setting?

<p>Use correct disposal of sharps in appropriate containers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Define asepsis in the context of infection control.

<p>Asepsis is the prevention of sepsis by minimizing the introduction of pathogens.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is compliance with hand hygiene guidelines important in infection control education?

<p>Compliance is crucial as it directly affects the effectiveness of infection prevention strategies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of source isolation in a hospital setting?

<p>To prevent airborne transmission of infections via respiratory droplets, particularly from infected patients.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How can healthcare staff prevent the acquisition of infections?

<p>Through immunization, covering lesions with waterproof dressings, and restricting non-immune or pregnant staff.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What specific PPE should be used when dealing with body fluid spills?

<p>Disposable gloves and an apron are necessary when cleaning up body fluid spills.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What steps should be taken when handling contaminated linen in a healthcare facility?

<p>Wear gloves and an apron, use appropriate laundry bags, and avoid contamination of clean linen.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to follow local policies regarding waste disposal in a hospital?

<p>Local policies ensure safe handling and disposal of clinical and household waste to minimize infection risks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

How should staff respond to instances of poor hygiene within hospital environments?

<p>They should report poor hygiene to the appropriate authorities to maintain safety standards.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main psychological impact of isolation on patients?

<p>Isolation can lead to significant psychological effects, such as feelings of loneliness and anxiety.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What should be done to treat waste generated from a body fluid spill?

<p>It should be treated as clinical waste and disposed of in a yellow plastic sack prior to incineration.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Infection Control

  • Infection control is important in hospitals and clinics to prevent the spread of infection among patients and staff.
  • Objectives include describing sources of microorganisms, transmission routes, and infection control principles; listing universal precautions; understanding risk assessment and management; and explaining vaccines.
  • The pre-scientific era saw epidemics and plagues throughout history, with physicians fearing contagious diseases. Climate and environment were blamed for illness, not the ill themselves.

Microbiology – Scientific Era

  • Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1722), a Dutch linen draper and amateur scientist, first observed bacteria.
  • Ignaz Semmelweis (1818-1865) linked high maternal mortality to doctors not washing their hands after post-mortems, reducing mortality by 90%.

Scientific Era Continued

  • Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) showed heat destroys bacteria and fungi, disproving the theory of abiogenesis. He proved bacteria cause infection – the germ theory of disease.
  • Joseph Lister (1827-1912) recognized Pasteur's work, was concerned about infections in fractures and post-operative wounds, and developed carbolic acid to disinfect instruments, patients and surgeons.
  • Robert Koch (1843-1910) grew bacteria in culture media, showing which bacteria cause specific diseases, and classified most bacteria by 1900.

How Infections Occur

  • The chain of infection comprises the infectious agent, reservoir, means of exit, mode of transmission, means of entry, and susceptible host.
  • Infections are prevented by controlling the source, managing modes of transmission, and strengthening host defenses.

Breaking the Chain of Infection

  • Source control involves coughing etiquette, cleaning, and disinfection.
  • Modes of transmission include contact (hand hygiene), droplet (distance), airborne (ventilation), and vector (bednets).
  • Portals of entry are managed by adding barriers like PPE.
  • Host defenses are strengthened through vaccination.

What the Expert Once Said

  • Florence Nightingale emphasized that hospitals should do the sick no harm.

Why Do We Need Infection Control?

  • Hospitals and clinics are complex environments where patients receive treatment, yet medical/surgical interventions can introduce health risks.

Nosocomial Infection

  • Nosocomial infections are hospital-acquired infections, not present or incubating in the patient when they enter the hospital.
  • Consequences include additional morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, long-term physical/neurological sequelae, increased cost of hospitalization, and death.

HAI - Common Bacteria and Viruses

  • Common bacteria associated with HAIs include Staphylococci, E. coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, Streptococci, and Proteus.
  • Common viruses associated with HAIs include Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, HIV, and Rotavirus.

Responsibilities of the Infection Control Program

  • Infection control programs include surveillance of nosocomial infections, outbreak investigations, developing policies for patient isolation and policies to mitigate patient care risks, cooperation with occupational health, education of hospital staff on infection control, ongoing review of infection control techniques, and eliminating wasteful or unnecessary practices.

Universal Infection Control Precautions

  • Universal precautions were devised in the US in the 1980s to combat HIV and Hepatitis B.
  • Universal precautions treat all patients as potential biohazards and adopt universal routine safe infection control practices to protect patients, staff, and colleagues from infection.

Components of Universal Precautions

  • Components of universal precautions include hand washing, personal protective equipment (PPE), preventing/managing sharps injuries, aseptic techniques, isolation, staff health, linen handling and disposal, waste disposal, spillage of body fluids, environmental cleaning, and risk management/assessment.

Hand Washing

  • Proper handwashing is the single most effective action to prevent hospital acquired infections (HAIs). Correct technique that thoroughly cleans all hand surfaces is more important than the cleaning agent. Frequency recommendations need to be tailored to specific needs and workloads. Research indicates poor technique, infrequent handling, and lack of training as contributors to poor hand washing.

Alcohol-based Hand Rubs

  • Effective when hands are not visibly soiled, but are more costly than soap and water.

Personal Protective Equipment

  • PPE is used when contamination with blood or body fluids is anticipated, which includes disposable gloves, plastic aprons, face masks, safety glasses/goggles/visors, head protection, foot protection, and fluid-resistant gowns.

Sharps Injuries

  • Prevention focused on correct sharps disposal, avoiding re-sheathing needles, avoiding removing needles, discarding syringes as a single unit, and avoiding over-filling sharps containers. Management involves following any local policy for sharps injuries.

Aseptic Technique

  • Asepsis is the prevention of sepsis, a harmful infection by bacteria. Minimizing risk of introducing pathogens to susceptible sites and preventing pathogen transfer to prevent infection spread.

Isolation

  • Isolation can be per room or group. Source isolation is used for infected patients (mainly to prevent airborne transmission via respiratory droplets such as respiratory MRSA, pulmonary Tuberculosis). Protective isolation isolates immunosuppressed patients. Isolation can negatively impact patients psychologically.

Staff Health

  • Risks of acquiring/transmitting infection can be minimized through immunization, covering lesions, and restricting non-immune/pregnant staff. Staff should seek advice when suffering from infections, and report accidents/untoward incidents.

Linen Handling and Disposal

  • Bed making, linen changing are key techniques. Gloves and aprons are crucial when handling linen.

Waste Disposal

  • Clinical waste is high-risk and requires yellow plastic bags prior to incineration. Household waste bags are black.

Spillage of Body Fluids

  • PPE (disposable gloves and aprons) is vital, followed by soaking up spills with paper towels and treating areas with hypochlorite solution (e.g., Milton) for several minutes. Clean contaminated areas with warm water and detergent before disinfecting areas. Treat spills as clinical waste and place into yellow plastic bags.

Environmental Cleaning

  • Poor hygiene in hospitals can be a significant public health risk as pathogens can survive for long periods in dust, debris, and dirt. Maintaining good hospital hygiene will reduce risks to staff and patients..

Risk Assessment

  • Risk assessment guidelines for infection control should be established, which involves no risk of splashing with blood/body fluids means PPE is not required; low or moderate risk of contact/splashing means only gloves and aprons are necessary; high risk means gloves, aprons, gowns, eye/face protection are required.

Body Fluids

  • This category includes cerebrospinal fluid, peritoneal fluid, pleural fluid, synovial fluid, amniotic fluid, semen, vaginal secretions, and other fluids containing visible blood (e.g., urine, feces).

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Description

This quiz explores crucial topics in infection control within healthcare settings, highlighting historical contributions from key figures in microbiology such as Anton van Leeuwenhoek and Louis Pasteur. It aims to deepen your understanding of infection prevention principles, sources of microorganisms, and the significance of vaccinations. Test your knowledge of how the scientific era transformed our approach to public health and hygiene.

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