Chapter 6 Infection Prevention

When hands are visibly soiled

WASH THEM WITH PLAIN OR ANTIMICROBIAL SOAP AND WATER

Standard Precautions

Wash hands, wear gloves, wear PPE equipment Never attempt to recap sharps after use

Chain Link 6: Susceptible Host Infection Prevention ( Staying healthy and protecting the elderly and ill from pathogens)

Uninfected person could become ill. A person becomes a susceptible host when his or her resistance to disease decreases. reasons for lowered resistance include age, exsisting illnesses, fatigue, poor nutrition, stress; elderly have weaker immune systems and lower resistance to pathogens

What part of the body has mucous membranes?

mouth, nose, eyes, rectum, and gentials

Removing PPe (doffing)

1. remove and discard gloves 2. remove goggles 3.remove and discard gown 4. remove and discard mask or respirator 5. wash your hands (final step)

Putting on PPE (donning)

1. wash your hands 2. put on gown 3. put on mask or respirator 4.put on goggles or face shield 5. put on gloves

Chain Link 2: Reservoir infection prevention( keep surfaces clean and dry.)

A reservoir is where the pathogen lives and grows. A reservoir can be a human, an animal, a plant, soil, or substance. The blood and the lungs are examples of reservoirs.

Three types of transmission based Precautions

Airborne Droplet Contact

Chain Link 1: the causative agent is a pathogenic microorganism that cause disease. (They are everywhere- skin, food, in the air and in water)

Causative agents include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Airborne pathogens remain floating for some time. They are carried by moisture, air currents, and by dust.

Example of airborne disease is tuberculosis (TB)

Two important bloodborne diseases

HIV and Hepatitis

Hand Hygiene

Is defined by the CDC as washing hands with either plain or antiseptic soap and water using alcohol-based hand rubs

The type of PPE you wear depends on what kind of exposure you may encounter and the type of Transmission-Based Precautions you may encounter

Mask should be worn when caring for residents who cough or sneeze or have respiratory illnesses. Mask can prevent inhalation of microorganisms through nose and mouth.

There are two levels of precautions in the infection prevention system

Standard Precautions and Transmission-Based, or isolation precautions

Residents in isolation units experience big changes.

They cannot move about freely because they are separated from everyone else. Empathize with them. Think about how you would feel if you were in isolation. Spend as much time with the resident as possible.

Chain of infection describes how disease is transmitted from one being to another.

There are six llnks

What is the CDC?

a federal government agency that issues guidelines to protect and improve health. Promotes public health and safety through education and tries to control and prevent disease.

Chain Link 5: Portal of Entry Infection Prevention (Wearing gloves)

any body opening on an uninfected person that allows pathogens to enter. this includes the nose, mouth, eyes, and other mucous membranes, cuts in the skin, and cracked skin.

Standard Precautions

are always followed because you cannot tell by looking at residents or their charts whether or not they have a contagious disease

Droplet Precaution

are used for diseases that are spread by droplets in the air. Droplets normally do not travel further than three (3) feet. CDC recommends increasing the droplet distance form three to six feet for influenza/

Contact Precautions

are used when a resident may spread an infection by direct contact with another person or object. The infection can be spread when a nursing assistant touches a contaminated area on a resident's body or his contaminated blood or body fluids. It may also be spread by touching contaminated personal items, linen, equipment, or supplies. Pink eye and C.diff are examples of a contact disease.

non-communicable disease

disease not capable of being spread from one person to another. ex. cancer

Why the elderly are at higher risk for infection?

elderly are at higher risk for infection due to weaker immune systems, limited mobility, thinner skin, slow wound healing, decreased circulation, catheters and other types of tubing can greatly increase the risk of infections

Transmission Based Precautions -a.k.a Transmission-Based or Isolation Precautions

guidelines for persons affected or may be infected with certain infectious diseases.

A microorganism

is a tiny living thing visible only by a microscope . I t is also called a microbe.

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococus aureus (CA_MRSA)

is a type of MRSA infection that is becoming more common.

MRSA

is an antibiotic-resistant infection often acquired in healthcare facilities. This type of MRSA is also known "HA-MRSA" which stands for " hospital-associated MRSA."

Communicable disease

is an infectious disease. ex. flu

infection prevention

is the set of methods used to control and prevent the spread of disease

Bloodborne Pathogen Standard

law was passed in 1991. It requires that healthcare facilities protect employees from bloodborne health hazards. Significant exposures include: exposure by injection; a needle stick, mucous membrane contact, cut from an object containing a potentially infectious body fluid (include human bites) having non-intact skin (OSHA includes acne in this category)

Chain Link 3: Portal of Exit infection prevention (cover nose and mouth while sneezing

portal of exit could be nose, mouth, eye, or cut in the skin, urine, semen, vaginal secretions

Airborne Precautions

prevent the spread of pathogens that travel through the air for a distance after being expelled.

Chain Link 4: Mode of Transmission infection prevention (washing hands)

the main routes of transmission are contact, droplet, and airborne transmission. The primary route of disease transmission within the healthcare setting is on the hands of healthcare workers.