Infection Control

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Infection Control
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• Healthcare workers are routinely exposed to
  potentially infectious materials during routine
  care of patients. They must understand the mode
  of transmission of a variety of infectious
  diseases and what type of precautions to take to
  reduce their exposure to and risk for these.

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Objectives

• At the end of this lesson, the student will
• Analyze principles of infection control
• Identify the Chain of Infection and its role in
  preventing the spread of microorganisms
• Demonstrate proper use of Standard Precautions

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Microorganisms

• A microorganism (microbe) is a small living plant
  or animal that can only be seen with a
  microscope.
• Microbes are everywhere.
• There are two classification
• Non-pathogens do not usually cause infections
  and help to maintain body processes
• Pathogens cause infection and disease

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Classes of Microorganisms

• Bacteria
• one celled microorganisms that are classified by
  shape
• Multiply rapidly and can cause disease in any
  body system
• Diseases staph infections, strep throat, food
  poisoning, syphilis
• Protozoa
• One-celled animals that can infect
  the brain, blood, intestines
• Diseases malaria, dysentery

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Classes of Microorganisms

• Fungi
• Plants that live on other plants or animals
• Include yeasts, molds, and mushrooms
• Diseases Vaginal yeast infections, thrush,
  athletes foot, ringworm
• Rickettsiae
• Found in fleas, ticks, lice, and other insects
• Spread by bites of the insect
• Diseases Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
  

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Classes of Microorganisms

• 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 colds, herpes, chicken pox, measles,
• Hepatitis B and C, HIV, and Aids

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Requirements of Micro-organisms

• Microbes need a reservoir (host) to live and
  grow.
• Water and nourishment.
• Most need oxygen to live.
• A warm and dark environment is needed.
• Most grow best at body temperature.
• Microbes are destroyed by heat and light.

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Classification of Infections and Diseases

• Endogenous begins inside the body
• Exogenous caused by something outside the body
• Nosocomial or Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI)
  acquired by an individual within a health care
  facility
• Opportunistic occur when the bodys defenses
  are weak

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Classification of Infections and Diseases

• Local infection - is in a body part.
• Systemic infection - involves the whole body
• Communicable - can be transmitted from one person
  to another person.
• Multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO)
• Organisms that can resist the effects of
  antibiotics
• MRSA Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus
• VRE Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus

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Chain of Infection
If any part of the chain is broken,
the spread of the disease or infection
will stop.
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Mode of Transmission

• Microbes may be transmitted by
• Airborne Transmission
• Bloodborne Transmission
• Vectorborne Transmission
• Sexual Transmission
• Foodborne Transmission
• Casual Contact

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Medical Asepsis

• Asepsis is being free of disease-producing
  microbes.
• Measures are needed to achieve asepsis.
• Medical asepsis (clean technique)
• Surgical asepsis (sterile technique)
• Sterilization is the process of destroying all
  microbes.
• Contamination is the process of becoming unclean.

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Rules of Hand Hygiene

• Wash your hands with soap water when they are
  visibly dirty or soiled
• After using the restroom
• After contact with blood, body fluids,
  secretions, or excretions
• After coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose
• Before and after handling, preparing,
  or eating food

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Rules of Hand Hygiene

• Use an alcohol-based hand rub to decontaminate
  your hands if they are not visibly soiled
• Before direct contact with a person
• After contact with a persons intact skin
• After removing gloves

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Supplies and Equipment

• Most equipment is disposable, however, non
• disposable items must be cleaned and then
• disinfected.
• Disinfection - process of destroying pathogens.
• Germicides - disinfectants applied to skin,
  tissues, and non-living objects.
• Chemical disinfectants - used to clean surfaces
  and reusable items.
• Sterilization destroys all non-pathogens and
  pathogens, including spores.

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Standard Precautions

• Are part of the CDCs Isolation Precautions
• Reduce the risk of spreading pathogens
• Are used when giving care for all residents
• Prevent the spread for infection from
• Blood
• All body fluids, secretions, and excretions
• even if no blood is visible
• Skin with open breaks or wounds
• Mucous membranes

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Isolation Precautions

• Blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions
  can transmit pathogens so barriers are created to
  prevent the spread of communicable or contagious
  diseases.
• Usually the persons room is used.
• Are based on clean and dirty.

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Isolation Precautions

• Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Gowns
• Masks
• Eyewear
• Special measures are used for
• removing linens, trash, and equipment from the
  room
• collecting and transporting specimens
• transporting persons

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Gloves and Gowns

• Wear gloves whenever contact with blood, body
  fluids, secretions, excretions, mucous membranes,
  and non-intact skin is likely.
• Gowns protect your clothes and body from contact
  with blood, body fluids, secretions, and
  excretions.
• Gowns must completely cover you from your neck to
  your knees.
• A wet gown is contaminated.
• Disposable gowns are discarded after use.

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Masks, Goggles, Eyewear

• Masks and respirators prevent the spread of
  microbes from the respiratory tract.
• Masks are disposable is contaminated if wet or
  moist
• Goggles and face shields protect your face from
  splashing or spraying of blood and body fluids.
• The outside of masks, goggles or a face shield is
  contaminated.
• Disposable eyewear is discarded after use.
• Reusable eyewear is cleaned and disinfected
• before reuse

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Isolation Precautions

• Contaminated items are bagged to remove them from
  the persons room.
• Leak-proof plastic bags are used.
• Bag and transport linens, trash, equipment, and
  supplies following center policy.
• Double bagging is not needed unless the outside
  of the bag is soiled.
• Use biohazard specimen bags to transport
  specimens to the laboratory.
• Procedures for transporting persons vary among
  centers

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Bloodborne Pathogen Standard

• A regulation of the Occupational Safety and
  Health Administration (OSHA) to protect the
  health team from exposure to blood and other
  potentially infectious materials (OPIM)
• HIV and HBV are bloodborne pathogens.
• The center must have an exposure control plan.
• It identifies staff at risk
• Includes actions to take for an
  exposure incident.
• Staff at risk receive free training.

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Preventive Measures

• Measures used to reduce the risk of exposure
  include
• Hepatitis B vaccinations
• Engineering and work practice controls
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Proper cleaning and decontamination of
  contaminated equipment
• Decontaminate work surfaces with a proper
  disinfectant.
• Use a brush and dustpan or tongs to clean up
  broken glass

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Regulated Waste

• Any soiled with liquid or semi-liquid blood or
  other potentially infection material, including
  sharps, must be discarded using special measures
• Containers used for discarding regulated waste
  are closable, puncture-resistant, leak-proof, and
  color-coded in red and have the
  BIOHAZARD symbol.
• The center must be kept clean and sanitary.
• Special measures must be used with
  contaminated laundry

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Exposure Incidents

• Any contact of the eye, mouth, other mucous
  membrane, non-intact skin with blood or OPIM,
  including parental contact (needles)
• Incidents must be reported at once.
• Confidentiality is important.