Signs and Symptoms of Infectious Diseases PDF

Signs and Symptoms of Infectious Diseases Signs Symptoms Fever Chills Swollen lymph nodes Pain and aching Tachycardia Nausea Septicemia...

Signs and Symptoms of Infectious Diseases Signs Symptoms Fever Chills Swollen lymph nodes Pain and aching Tachycardia Nausea Septicemia Fatigue/malaise Chest sounds Headache Skin eruptions ​ Sore throat​​ Leukopenia Chest tightness Universal precautions and guidelines are set in place to prevent health care professionals from exposure to infections when providing first aid or health care. These guidelines include considering each patient potentially infectious for blood-borne pathogens including but not limited to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis B virus. Universal precautions apply when in possible contact with any of the following. Blood products Human tissue Body fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid, amniotic fluid, and pleural fluid Any body fluid visibly contaminated with blood Vaginal secretions and semen  Health care professionals are responsible not only for protecting their patients but also for protecting themselves from blood-borne pathogens. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been recommending standard precautions since 1987. Protecting the health care professional against exposure to blood and other body fluids is essential when the status of infection is unknown in a patient. Some general guidelines are as follows. Wash hands before and after every procedure. Use gloves with encountering patient blood/body fluids, handling anything contaminated with blood, performing venipuncture, handling blood specimens, and cleaning up body fluids or blood. Cover any scratches or breaks in the skin. Refrain from eating, drinking, or chewing gum while working. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) if blood or body fluid splatter could occur. Clean all spills immediately with appropriate cleaning supplies. Dispose of sharps immediately. Place sharps or broken glass in a puncture-proof container. Dispose of all biohazard waste in appropriate biohazard container. There are three categories for job tasks and the potential for exposure to blood borne pathogens. They are determined by how much exposure to potential infectious agents you would likely encounter. Adhere to Regulations and Guidelines Related to Infectious Diseases Category Example  Category I Tasks that have a chance of body fluids or blood spilling or splashing, or tasks that can cause exposure to blood or body fluids such as a minor surgical procedure Category II Tasks that do not usually involve chance of exposure, such as CPR; precautions must still be taken Category III Tasks that do not require any PPE, such as taking a patient’s vital signs If a health care professional has a fever or feels sick, refrain from contact with patients to reduce the risk of spread. Stay home and only return to work if the MA has been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of any fever-reducing medications. OSHA also outlines standard safeguards to take when performing specific medical tasks. The Needle Safety and Prevention Act was signed into law in November 2000. Health care professionals must implement the use of devices that help reduce the risk of needlestick injuries such as needle safety devices. Facilities must also maintain a detailed logbook of any needlestick or sharps injuries from dirty or contaminated sharps. Health care facilities must also implement work practice controls to help reduce the risk of injury at work by altering the way a task is performed. Additional precautions may need to occur when working with a patient with a suspected infection. These guidelines are known as transmission-based precautions. This is broken down into three categories. Contact precautions: Transmission through direct and indirect touching; using proper PPE such as gloves and gown, washing hands before and after working  with the patient, and disinfecting the exam room are all precautions that should be taken. Droplet precautions: Transmission by contact of secretions and usually occurs when an infected person coughs or sneezes; get the patient to an exam room as quickly as possible, have the patient put on a face mask, and have the health care professional use appropriate PPE such as mask and gloves. Airborne precautions: Transmission by infectious agents floating in the air, which can expose anyone around the patient; allow the patient to enter the facility by a different route, place the patient in an isolation room, have the patient place a face mask on, and have the health care working use appropriate PPE such as mask, gloves, and gown. Guidelines for Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens (OSHA, American Hospital Association [AHA]) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established a blood-borne pathogen standard to reduce the risk of occupational exposure to infectious disease. Exposure can occur in several ways: needlesticks; cuts; or blood or bodily fluid coming into contact with the eyes, nose, mouth, or other non-intact skin. One component of this standard requires employers to have a written exposure control plan to protect their employees who have the potential for exposure based on their job duties and responsibilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has outlined health care personnel that are considered “at risk” for occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens including hepatitis B and C virus as well as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Employers are required to update their exposure control plan annually to align with changes that help reduce the potential for exposure. The following must be detailed in the employer’s exposure control plan. Engineering Controls Devices used to isolate or remove the blood-borne pathogen hazard from the workplace. Workplace Controls Practices in the workplace that reduce the chances of exposure by changing or mandating the way a task is performed. PPE Employers must provide personal protective equipment to employees. Hepatitis B Vaccinations Employers must provide hepatitis B vaccinations to all employees with a risk of exposure within 10 days of employment, at no cost to the employee. Documentation of the offer or a vaccination record for the employee must be kept on file. Post-Exposure Follow-Up Employers must follow up with any professional who had an exposure incident at no cost to the employee. All employee diagnoses must remain confidential. Labels and Signs to Communicate Hazards Labels are required to be on all regulated waste and storage containers containing potentially infectious materials. Information and Training to Employees Employers must provide regular training that covers the dangers of blood-borne pathogens, preventive practices, and post-exposure procedures. This training must be provided on initial hire and annually thereafter. Documented Employee Medical Training Records  Medical training and records must be maintained for each employee, in addition to a log of occupational injuries and illnesses and a sharps injury log. ​Following specific guidelines on how to don (put on) and doff (remove) various PPE helps stop the spread of infectious agents. Gloves are the most used PPE in a health care setting. Donning nonsterile gloves Perform handwash. Select appropriate size of nonsterile gloves. Place hand through opening and pull glove up to wrist. Repeat on other hand. Adjust gloves as necessary. Medical asepsis, or clean technique, is used daily in every clinical setting. The goal of medical asepsis is to reduce the number of pathogenic micro-organisms and prohibit their growth. Handwashing is a medical aseptic technique that is routinely used. This type of asepsis does not provide for a complete pathogen-free environment, but it greatly reduces their numbers and their ability to multiply and continue the chain of infection. Gloves, gowns, and masks can be used during medical asepsis. These items, considered personal protective equipment (PPE), are primarily used to protect the health care professional. Medical assistants use clean or medical aseptic techniques on a daily basis. Below are a few examples. Washing hands prior to and after each patient encounter Assuring the workspace has been wiped down with sanitizing wipes between patient encounters Using proper PPE, such as gloves and masks, when in contact with bodily fluids  Proper cleaning of supplies Setting up the laboratory area with a “clean” side and “dirty” side Properly covering coughs or sneezes and washing hands afterward Surgical asepsis is the complete removal of all micro-organisms and must be used during invasive procedures. The goal of surgical asepsis is to eliminate micro-organisms from entering the body. During procedures such as invasive procedures, wound care, endoscopies, and insertion of urinary catheters, all PPE and instruments used should be sterile. Supplies used during these procedures would consist of the use of sterile gloves, gowns, and drapes. Medical assistants need to know when to use medical versus surgical aseptic techniques. For most noninvasive procedures and if the skin and mucous membranes are intact, medical asepsis can be used. Surgical asepsis is used for invasive procedures and wound care. There are several actions that medical assistants can take to reduce the chances of pathogen transmission. Medical asepsis, or clean technique, is used daily in every clinical setting. The goal of medical asepsis is to reduce the number of pathogenic micro-organisms and prohibit their growth. Handwashing is a medical aseptic technique that is routinely used. This type of asepsis does not provide for a complete pathogen-free environment, but it greatly reduces their numbers and their ability to multiply and continue the chain of infection. Gloves, gowns, and masks can be used during medical asepsis. These items, considered personal protective equipment (PPE), are primarily used to protect the health care professional. Medical assistants use clean or medical aseptic techniques on a daily basis. Below are a few examples. Washing hands prior to and after each patient encounter  Assuring the workspace has been wiped down with sanitizing wipes between patient encounters Using proper PPE, such as gloves and masks, when in contact with bodily fluids Proper cleaning of supplies Setting up the laboratory area with a “clean” side and “dirty” side Properly covering coughs or sneezes and washing hands afterward Surgical asepsis is the complete removal of all micro-organisms and must be used during invasive procedures. The goal of surgical asepsis is to eliminate micro-organisms from entering the body. During procedures such as invasive procedures, wound care, endoscopies, and insertion of urinary catheters, all PPE and instruments used should be sterile. Supplies used during these procedures would consist of the use of sterile gloves, gowns, and drapes. Medical assistants need to know when to use medical versus surgical aseptic techniques. For most noninvasive procedures and if the skin and mucous membranes are intact, medical asepsis can be used. Surgical asepsis is used for invasive procedures and wound care. There are several actions that medical assistants can take to reduce the chances of pathogen transmission. Infection control can be managed through proper sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization of supplies. These techniques and skills should be done on a routine basis to ensure they become an unbreakable habit. Infection control includes ensuring that the equipment and supplies used in the clinical setting are free from disease-causing micro-organisms, which also helps protect the patient and the employee. The type of cleaning depends on the piece of equipment and the type of procedure in which it will be used. Surgical instruments are handled differently than patient assessment tools found in an examination room. Sanitization is the cleaning process that is often the first step in assuring that medical equipment and instruments are as clean as possible. This process reduces the number of microbes to a lower level so that they are ready to undergo the sterilization or disinfection process. Sanitization helps to remove debris such as body fluids and blood that is present on the instruments and equipment. Gloves must always be worn during the sanitization process. If there are sharp instruments needing sanitization, wear thick utility gloves to avoid injury. Follow manufacturer’s instructions regarding water temperatures and types of detergent to use during this process. Keep the work area separated into dirty and clean areas to avoid cross-contamination of equipment. For facilities that work with very delicate instruments, ultrasonic sanitization is used to avoid damage to the equipment. Rather than using friction to remove the debris, the sound waves loosen the debris so the object is free from excess material going into the disinfection or sterilization phase. Ultrasonic sanitization also reduces the risk of potential sharps injury for the health care professional. If sanitization cannot be completed directly after the use of the instrument, items should be immediately rinsed under cold water and placed in a detergent solution. Disinfection is the process of destroying pathogens or rendering them inactive on surfaces and items, such as countertops and surgical instruments. Even though it does not destroy all the microbial spores or certain viruses, it greatly reduces the spread of infection by destroying or limiting microbial activity. The solutions used in disinfection are effective when used correctly. The process can often require lengthy submersion of instruments in a chemical solution that must touch every surface area of the instrument. Glutaraldehyde is a disinfectant used in the clinical setting but usually requires a long submersion time to be fully effective and can be costly. A cheaper and effective alternative is a 1:10 bleach solution. Chemical disinfectants cannot be used on patients and are reserved for medical supplies, equipment, clinical surroundings, and surfaces. A medical assistant is usually responsible for disinfecting the exam table, sink, countertop, computer keyboard, and other high-traffic surface areas. Types of Low- and Intermediate-Level Disinfectants Type and Level Typical Use Advantage Disadvantage Alcohol: Fixed Fast acting Wet contact Intermediate equipment No residue​​ time a Patient care Non-staining minimum of 5 items​​ min Drying agent Flammable Inactivated by organic material Can dissolve lens mounting Tends to harden and swell plastic​​ Alcohol is a fixative, increasing the difficulty of residual soil removal. Chlorine Dialysis Fast-acting Inactivated by (Chlorinated machines (minimum contact organic matter compounds): time 2.5 min) Bleach for Corrosive Low or laundry Stains fabric, Intermediate Bathtubs​​ plastics​​ A 1:10 dilution Relatively recommended unstable for cleaning blood spills Iodophores: Patient care Fast-acting (