Infection Control and PPE Quiz

Microbiology RND 11502: Infection Control and Prevention

• This course covers infection control and prevention in healthcare settings.
• Learning outcomes include defining infection control, describing key principles of infection control, defining standard precaution, describing standard precautions' elements, managing needle stick injuries and splashes with body fluids, and explaining healthcare workers' roles.
• Infectious agents are present in healthcare settings.
• Patients may get infected while receiving care.
• Healthcare workers are at risk during their work.
• Other people in healthcare establishments are also at risk.
• Healthcare-associated infections can be serious or life-threatening.
• Handwashing is a crucial infection control measure.
• Maintaining a clean clinical environment is essential.
• Healthcare workers need continuous knowledge and skill updates.
• Educating patients and visitors is important for preventing cross-infection.
• Proper handwashing is the most effective way to prevent infection spread in hospitals.
• Effective, ethical infection prevention and control is crucial for nursing care.

Infection Control

• Infection control is a set of methods used to control and prevent disease spread.

Principles of Basic Infection Control

• Microorganisms transfer between surfaces when objects touch.
• Clean items touching less clean items become "dirty."
• Keep hands away from the face.
• Keep linens away from uniforms.
• Dropped items on the floor are considered dirty.
• Microorganisms transfer via gravity when one item is above another.
• Avoid placing dirty items over clean items.
• Place clean items on upper shelves and dirty items on lower shelves.
• Microorganisms are released into the air when people breathe or speak.
• Avoid breathing directly in someone's face.
• Cover the mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of the tissue.
• Wash hands after coughing or sneezing.
• Microorganisms move slowly on dry surfaces, but quickly through moisture.
• Do not wet sterile trolleys.
• Proper handwashing removes microorganisms.
• Wash hands between patients. (steps 1-7)

Standard Precaution

• Designed to reduce microorganism transmission from known and unknown sources.
• Applied to all patients receiving care, regardless of their diagnosis or infectious status.
• Standard precaution applies to blood, all body fluids/secretions (except sweat), mucous membranes, and non-intact skin.
• Each person is potentially infectious and susceptible to infection.
• Essential elements include handwashing, personal protective equipment (PPE), preventing/managing sharps injuries, aseptic technique, appropriate reprocessing of instruments/equipment, isolation, staff health, linen handling/disposal, waste disposal, spills of body fluids, environmental cleaning, and training/education.

Safe Handling and Disposal of Sharps

• Injuries from needles and sharps can transmit HBV, HCV, and HIV to healthcare workers.
• Prevention is essential.
• Pass instruments in metal trays during procedures.
• Do not recap used needles.
• Do not remove used needles from disposable syringes.
• Avoid bending, breaking, or manipulating used needles by hand.
• Place used sharps in yellow puncture-resistant containers labeled with biohazard.
• Dispose of sharps immediately after use.
• Do not overfill sharps containers.
• Discard after 2/3 full or when contents reach the "full" line.

Managing a Needlestick Injury

• Stay calm.
• Wash the area with soap and water for at least five minutes.
• Encourage the wound to bleed.
• Apply antiseptic and a band-aid.
• Inform the supervisor or clinical team member.
• Complete a staff incident form.

Aseptic Technique

• Aseptic technique is an infection control practice used to prevent pathogen transmission.
• Use it during invasive procedures that bypass the body's natural defenses (e.g., skin or mucous membranes).
• Asepsis means freedom from infection.
• Aseptic technique involves creating a microorganism-free environment and objects.
• Maintain aseptic conditions when handling equipment prior to invasive procedures (e.g., wound suturing, wound care dressings, IV cannulas, urinary catheters).

Appropriate Reprocessing of Instruments and Equipment

• Two steps are involved: cleaning and sterilization/disinfection.
• Cleaning is the initial step, to remove foreign material. -types of sterilization: autoclaving, boiling, ionizing radiation, chemical disinfectant, and gaseous disinfectant.

Isolation Practices

• Isolation is physically separating an infected person from others to prevent microorganism transmission.
• Three types exist: airborne precautions, droplet precautions, and contact precautions.

Airborne Precautions

• Used for pathogens suspended in air.
• Examples: Tuberculosis, chickenpox, measles, and herpes zoster.
• Follow standard precaution and use N95 masks.

Droplet Precautions

• Used for pathogens spread through close respiratory contact secretions or membranes.
• Examples: Haemophilus influenzae, multidrug-resistant strains, meningitis, rubella, diphtheria, and pertussis.

Contact Precautions

• Used for pathogens spread by direct or indirect contact.
• Examples: Diphtheria, shigella, impetigo, herpes simplex, scabies, hepatitis A, multidrug-resistant strains, MRSA, VRE, and C. difficile.

Linen Handling and Disposal

• Handling soiled linen: Avoid sorting, agitation, and shaking; place in appropriate laundry bags; pack properly to prevent leakage; wear PPE; and transport and store clean linen separately.

Waste Disposal and Management

• Clinical waste includes discarded sharps, associated waste from specimen processing, and human tissue with blood.
• Clinical waste is segregated: domestic waste (black bags), non-sharps clinical waste (yellow), and sharps waste (sharps bins).

Spills of Body Fluids

• Small spills should be cleaned up with absorbent material and a 1:10 sodium hypochlorite solution.
• Large spills should be covered with absorbent material, poured with a 1:10 sodium hypochlorite solution, left for several minutes, and wiped up.
• Alternatively, sprinkle chloride granules, wait for 5-10 minutes, scoop with a brush and dustpan, and discard into a yellow bin. Mop the area with a 1:100 sodium hypochlorite solution.

Environmental Cleaning

• Cleaning floors and surfaces, includes bedside lockers and overbed tables, should be done daily.
• Use a vacuum cleaner for floors and disinfectant for other items and furniture.
• Rubbish containers should have close-fitting lids, and be emptied regularly, to avoid overflowing.

Staff Health

• Preventing infection acquisition: Immunisation, covering lesions with waterproof dressings, restricting non-immune/pregnant staff.
• Preventing infection transmission: Seeking medical advice and reporting accidents/untoward incidents.

Staff Training

• All healthcare professionals must include infection prevention and control in daily procedures.
• Training should emphasize the importance of infection prevention, control measures, and good communication to prevent future issues.