Infection Control

1
Infection Control
2
Overview

• You will learn about
• The chain of infection
• Standard precautions and transmission-based
  precautions
• Proper hand cleansing techniques
• Sterile technique

3
What do you know about

1. Infection control?
2. Why is it important in health care facilities?

4
Lesson 1 Microorganisms

• Microorganisms are small living bodies that are
  not visible to the naked eye.
• Nonpathogens - maintain body processes
• Pathogens cause infection and disease
• Classes of microorganisms
• Bacteria
• Protozoa
• Fungi
• Viruses

5
Lesson 1 Bacteria

• Bacteria are one-celled microorganisms that are
  classified by shape.
• Spores are thick-walled cells created by bacteria
  to aid in reproduction and to make the bacteria
  resistant to harsh environments. Spores can
  result in serious illness.
• Diseases - food poisoning, strep throat, tetanus,
  syphilis, and cholera

6
Lesson 1 Protozoa

• Protozoa are the simplest organisms in the animal
  kingdom.
• Most protozoa need moisture to survive, so they
  are often found in watery environments.
• Diseases - malaria, dysentery, and African
  sleeping sickness

7
Lesson 1 Fungi

• Fungi are plant-like microorganisms that can be
  found in the air, in soil, on plants, or in
  water.
• There are thousands of types of fungi, including
  mushrooms, yeasts, and molds. Only about half of
  these types of fungi are pathogenic.
• Diseases - athletes foot, ringworm, yeast
  infections, and thrush

8
Lesson 1 Viruses

• Viruses are the smallest type of microorganism.
  They are made up of only a few molecules.
• Viruses invade the cells of a living organism
  where they reproduce more viruses
• Diseases - common cold, chicken pox, measles,
  herpes, hepatitis B and C, HIV, and AIDS

9
Lesson 2 Classification of Infections and
Diseases

• Endogenous begins inside the body
• Exogenous caused by something outside the body
• Nosocomial acquired by an individual within a
  health care facility
• Opportunistic occur when the bodys defenses
  are weak

10
Lesson 2 Infectious and Communicable Diseases

• An infectious disease results from an invasion of
  microorganisms.
• A communicable disease is a type of infectious
  disease that can be transmitted from one person
  to another person.
• Not all infectious diseases are communicable.

11
Lesson 2 Chain of Infection

• Causative agent
• Reservoir
• Portal of exit
• Mode of transmission
• Portal of entry
• Susceptible host

12
Lesson 2 Mode of Transmission

• Airborne Transmission
• Bloodborne Transmission
• Vectorborne Transmission
• Sexual Transmission
• Foodborne Transmission
• Casual Contact

13
Lesson 3 Asepsis

• Asepsis is a condition that is free of pathogens.
  
• Maintaining asepsis in a health care facility is
  the primary way to prevent the spread of disease
  from person to person.
• It works by breaking the chain of infection.

14
Lesson 3 Medical and Surgical Asepsis

• Medical asepsis is maintaining a clean
  environment in order to reduce the number of
  pathogens. It is also called clean technique.
• Surgical asepsis is maintaining a sterile field
  that is free from all microorganisms and spores.
  It is also known as sterile technique.

15
Lesson 3 Sterilizing

• Sterilization is the highest level of asepsis.
• Sterilization is a type of surgical asepsis that
  kills all microorganisms, including viruses and
  spores.
• The most common piece of equipment used for
  sterilization is called an autoclave.

16
Lesson 3 Disinfecting

• Disinfection is a type of medical asepsis that
  destroys most pathogens, but is not always
  effective on viruses and spores.
• Common disinfectant solutions include chlorine
  and bleach. An object must soak in a disinfectant
  solution for at least 20 minutes to be properly
  disinfected.

17
Lesson 3 Cleaning

• Cleaning is the lowest level of asepsis, and is
  also called sanitization.
• The cleaning process does not require harsh
  chemicals to destroy pathogens, so cleaning can
  be used on people.
• Antiseptic solutions such as iodine, betadine,
  and alcohol are often used in the cleaning
  process.

18
Lesson 4 Hand Washing

• Hand washing is the most basic and important type
  of medical asepsis.
• Hand washing is the number one way to prevent the
  spread of infection.

19
Lesson 4 Handwashing

• When arriving at the health care facility and
  immediately before leaving the facility
• Before and after every patient contact
• Before and after a procedure
• Before and after handling a specimen
• Before and after touching the mouth
• Before and after wearing gloves.
• After contacting soiled or contaminated items
• After picking up any item from the floor
• After using the bathroom
• After coughing, sneezing, or using a tissue

20
Lesson 4 Handwashing

• Use liquid soap
• Use warm water
• Rub hands together firmly
• Clean all surfaces of the hands
• Keep fingers pointed downward
• Wash for at least 15 to 20 seconds
• Use only dry paper towels to dry hands

21
Lesson 7 Standard Precautions

• The Center for Disease Control and Prevention
  developed a list of standard precautions that
  should be used for all patients, regardless of
  their type of illness.
• Two reasons for standard precautions
• To protect health care workers
• To protect patients

22
Lesson 7 Standard Precautions for Patient
Contact

• Use appropriate personal protective equipment
• Wash hands frequently
• Bandage cuts properly
• Use face shields during CPR

23
Lesson 7 Precautions for Environmental
Cleanliness

• Place sharps in puncture-proof biohazardous waste
  containers
• Clean up spills immediately
• Discard infectious waste in biohazardous waste
  bags
• Place contaminated linens in biohazardous laundry
  bags

24
Lesson 8 Gowns

• Gowns should be worn when using chemical
  solutions and during procedures where splashing
  or spraying of blood and bodily fluid is likely.
• Disposable gowns should be placed into
  biohazardous waste containers after use.
• Non-disposable gowns may be placed into
  biohazardous linens bags.

25
Lesson 9 Masks and Eyewear

• Masks and eyewear must be worn for procedures
  that may produce splashes or sprays of blood or
  bodily fluid.
• Masks should be worn once and then discarded into
  biohazardous waste containers.
• Eyewear is often reusable. However, it must be
  cleaned and disinfected before reuse.

26
Lesson 10 Non-Sterile Gloves

• Non-sterile gloves should be worn when contacting
  blood or other bodily fluids and when handling or
  cleaning contaminated items.
• The same pair of gloves should never be worn in
  more than one procedure.
• Wearing gloves should never replace washing
  hands.

27
Lesson 12 Communicable Diseases

• A communicable disease is a type of infectious
  disease that can be transmitted from one person
  to another person.
• Some communicable diseases are spread through
  direct contact. Others may be spread through
  indirect contact.

28
Lesson 12 Transmission of Communicable Diseases

• Not all communicable diseases are transmitted the
  same way.
• There are many different types of communicable
  diseases, and health care workers must become
  familiar with the mode of transmission for each
  disease.

29
Lesson 12 Transmission-Based Precautions

• Transmission-based precautions are used only with
  patients who have been diagnosed with highly
  communicable diseases.
• Three types
• Airborne
• Droplet
• Contact

30
Lesson 12 Airborne Precautions

• Airborne precautions are used for patients with
  disease that are spread through tiny airborne
  droplets.
• Precautions
• Isolation room
• Respiratory protection
• Negative pressure
• Examples of diseases
• Tuberculosis
• Chicken pox

31
Lesson 12 Droplet Precautions

• Droplet precautions are used for patients with
  diseases that are spread through large airborne
  droplets.
• Precautions
• Isolation room
• Standard surgical masks
• Examples of diseases
• Pneumonia
• Influenza
• Whooping cough

32
Lesson 12 Contact Precautions

• Contact precautions are used for patients with
  diseases that are spread through direct and
  indirect contact.
• Precautions
• Isolation room
• Gowns and gloves
• Equipment precautions
• Examples of diseases
• MRSA
• VRE

33
Lesson 13 Transmission-Based Garments

• When health care workers enter isolation rooms,
  they must wear transmission-based garments.
• Health care workers must wear appropriate
  garments based on the disease of the patient.

34
Lesson 13 Protective Garments

• Order for donning PPE
• Gown
• Mask
• Eyewear
• Gloves
• Order for removing PPE
• Gloves
• Eyewear
• Gown
• Mask
• Always cleanse hands before donning the items and
  immediately after removing them.
• Health care workers must not touch the outer
  surface of any protective garments.

35
Lesson 14 Isolation Units

• Patients with communicable diseases are often
  placed into private rooms for isolation.
• This practice helps prevent the spread of
  communicable diseases to health care workers and
  other patients.

36
Lesson 14 Meals in an Isolation Unit

• Most facilities require that disposable food
  trays and eating utensils are used in isolation
  units.
• Leftover food and beverages should never be taken
  out of an isolation unit. Liquids and soft foods
  should be flushed down the toilet. Solid foods
  should be placed in biohazardous waste bags.

37
Lesson 14 Working in an Isolation Unit

• Most of the procedures that take place in
  isolation units require two health care workers.
• Items that are taken from isolation rooms are
  double-bagged to prevent the spread of dangerous
  pathogens.

38
Questions

1. What risks do you take by not wearing gloves?
2. What situations do you need to remember to wear
   PPE?
3. How does forgetting to put gloves on affect your
   patients confidence in her as a medical
   professional?

39
Lesson 16 Sterile Technique

• Sterile technique, also called surgical asepsis,
  is maintaining an area that is free from all
  microorganisms
• Sterile technique must be practiced for all
  invasive procedures to protect patients from
  infection.
• To maintain a sterile area, only sterile items
  may touch other sterile items.

40
Lesson 16 Sterile Fields

• Sterile fields are areas that are set up for
  procedures and are free from microorganisms.
• A sterile field is usually a tray covered with a
  small sterile towel. The tray contains equipment
  and supplies for a specific procedure.

41
Lesson 16 Working with Sterile Fields

• Create sterile field in a clean, uncluttered area
• Never reach across a sterile field
• Keep your eyes on a sterile field at all times
• Keep the sterile field dry
• Create the sterile field again if you suspect
  that it has become contaminated

42
Lesson 16 Sterile Packages

• Most of the items used to create a sterile field
  are pre-packaged in sterile wraps.
• A sterile package must be opened with care. The
  outside of the package is considered
  contaminated, but the inside is sterile.
• Only sterile items, such as a sterile transfer
  forceps, may touch the inside of a sterile
  package.

43
Lesson 17 Sterile Glove

• Sterile gloves are a key tool in maintaining a
  sterile field.
• Sterile gloves should be worn whenever health
  care workers treat an open wound, perform an
  invasive procedure, or apply a dressing.

44
Reflect Unit Questions

1. The common cold is a virus. Beginning with the
   causative agent, explain how the cold could be
   passed from one person to another through the
   chain.
2. Describe how you would decide which level of
   asepsis is needed for a piece of equipment and
   how each level of asepsis could be attained.
3. In what work situations should a health care
   worker wash their hands? What are some ways that
   you can apply proper hand washing hygiene outside
   of work?
4. Identify the standard precautions that should be
   applied if you must change the bandage of a
   patient with a seeping wound. What precautions
   should you take to clean up blood from an
   examination room?

45
Reflect Key Questions

1. What is infection control?
2. Why is infection control important in health care
   facilities?

46
Reinforce Project

• Microorganisms Experiment
• You will use Petri dishes to observe the growth
  of microorganisms.