Infection Control & Prevention Quiz

• Lecture is about AT-ATF II 202 L 1 Universal Safety Measures given by Nithin Raj MSc AT on February 11, 2025.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the lecture, students will be able to discuss standard safety precautions, hand washing, gloving and gowning, use of cap, mask, eye, and footwear, waste disposal, needle stick injuries, and recommendations for universal safety precautions.

Universal Precautions

• They are the practices used to protect yourself from contact with another person's bloodborne and body fluids pathogens, which can be spread either directly or indirectly.
• Pathogens can enter the body through respiration, skin(needles, wounds), eyes, mouth, nose, and by sexual transmission.
• Respiration: Airborne pathogens such as viruses like the flu and COVID-19, and bacteria like tuberculosis.
• Skin: Through cuts, wounds, or insect bites, where pathogens can enter the bloodstream like tetanus and malaria
• Eyes: Pathogens can enter through conjunctiva, causing infections like pink eye (conjunctivitis).
• Mouth: Ingestion of contaminated food or water like salmonella, and norovirus.
• Nose: Pathogens can enter through the nasal passages like common cold viruses.
• Sexual transmission: Through sexual contact with infected individuals like HIV and gonorrhea.

Bloodborne Pathogens

• They are infectious microorganisms in human blood and some body fluids or secretions that can cause diseases such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus(HCV), and human immune deficiency virus (HIV).
• Body fluids that can be infectious include: blood, feces, urine, respiratory secretions (Nasal discharge), semen, and vaginal secretions.

Essential Universal Precautions

• They are applied universally in caring for all patients with hand washing.
• Decontamination of equipment and devices is essential.
• Use and dispose of needles and sharps safely without recapping.
• Wearing protective items is also a precaution.
• Promptly clean up blood and body fluid spills.
• There are systems for safe collection of waste and disposal.

Handwashing

• Use alcohol gel unless hands are visibly soiled, as it is faster, more effective (if done properly), and better tolerated.
• Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty or soiled with blood or other body fluids or after using the toilet.

Hand Washing Indications

• Before starting work, examining a patient, administering an injection, handling disinfected instruments, putting on gloves, and/or going home.
• After examining a patient, handling instruments or potentially contaminated items or body, secretions/excretions, removing gloves, using the toilet or latrine, and/or sneezing or coughing.
• The duration of the entire hand washing procedure is 20-30 seconds.
• Apply a palmful of the product in a cupped hand, covering all surfaces.
• Rub hands palm to palm.
• Right palm over left dorsum with interlaced fingers and vice versa.
• Palm to palm with fingers interlaced.
• Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked.
• Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa.
• Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice versa.
• Once dry, hands are safe.
• If outbreaks of spore-forming organisms, like Clostridium difficile, are suspected, or specific precautions are in place at the patient (e.g., patients with vomiting or diarrheal illness) or ward level, soap and water should be used for hand hygiene, as alcohol-based gels are ineffective against spores.
• Effective handwashing technique includes: palm to palm, palm to dorsum (both hands), palm to palm with fingers interlaced, and backs of fingers to opposing palms.
• It is important to perform rotational rubbing of thumbs in clasped palm and rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of hand in palm.
• The hands must be allowed to dry.

Gloves

• They must be worn for invasive procedures, contact with sterile sites, non-intact skin or mucous membranes; and activities assessed as high risk of exposure to blood, body fluids or secretions, or sharp/contaminated instruments.
• Disposable plastic aprons are single-use items intended to reduce contamination of clothing.

Rationale for Using Barriers:

• Gloves prevent microorganisms on your hands from coming in contact with the client.
• Masks prevent droplets from your nose and mouth, which contain microorganisms, from contact from the client.
• Jackets, gowns, and aprons prevent microorganisms from coming in contact with the client.
• Shoes prevent microorganisms from coming in contact with the client.
• Gloves protect healthcare workers by preventing service provider's hands from coming in contact with the client's blood or other body fluids, mucous membranes, and non-intact skin, as well as instruments, other items, or surfaces that have been contaminated with blood or other body fluids.
• Masks prevent the mucous membranes of the service provider's nose and mouth from being exposed to splashes of blood and other body fluids and protect from droplets containing microorganisms.
• Jackets, gowns, and plastic aprons prevent the service provider's skin from being exposed to splashes of blood or other body fluids.
• Shoes: From stepping on contaminated sharps or from falling equipment.
• Mask precautions include: cover nose, mouth, and cheeks and extend below the chin.
• Jacket, gown, and plastic apron precautions include: A waterproof apron should be worn under the jacket or gown during all procedures in which large amounts of blood and other body fluids are likely such as cesarean delivery.
• Shoes: Sturdy shoes should be worn in surgery. Healthcare workers should never walk barefoot in the operating room. Clean plastic or leather boots that cover the whole foot are recommended. Sandals and open shoes are not recommended.

Selection of Protective Barriers

• Low risk of exposure, such as contact with intact skin and no blood exposure, indicates gloves are not essential and an example of this is injection or minor wound dressing
• Medium risk of exposure, such as probable contact with blood but splashing unlikely, indicates gloves and gown or apron may be necessary and an example of this is pelvic exam, handling of laboratory specimens, IUD insertion, IUD removal, large open-wound dressing, and intravenous drawing of blood catheter insertion or removal.
• High risk, such as contact with blood likely, splashing probable, and/or uncontrolled bleeding indicates gloves, apron, eyewear, and mask are needed and an example of this is major surgical procedures, oral surgery, and vaginal delivery.

Needle-Stick Injuries

• They expose you to a number of blood borne pathogens that can cause serious or even fatal infections.
• They are the most serious health risks, like Hepatitis V, Hepatitis C and HIV
• Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for all healthcare workers and is highly effective in preventing infection in workers exposed to HBV.

Safe handling of sharps

• Needles must never be recapped.
• Staff must obtain assistance when taking blood or giving injections to uncooperative or confused patients.
• Sharps must never be carried by the hands.
• Sharps must never be broken or disposed of incorrectly.
• The needle must never be passed from hand to hand.
• Never re-use a sharp.
• There is a 30% risk for Hepatitis B if exposed and a 3% risk for Hepatitis C.
• The risk of getting HIV is only 0.3%
• Anyone who may come into contact with needles is at risk of needle-stick injury including: Anesthesia Technologists, nurses, lab workers, doctors, housekeeping staff and sanitation workers.
• Needle-stick injuries occur approximately 385,000 times each year.
• Needle-stick injuries are caused by recapping needles, transferring bodily fluids between containers, and improper disposal.

Test your knowledge of infection control and prevention practices in healthcare. This quiz covers hand hygiene, PPE use, sharps safety, and bloodborne pathogen risks. Assess your understanding of essential protocols to minimize infection spread and ensure patient and healthcare worker safety.