Infection Control and Prevention: Essential Guidelines

1. McFatter Technical Center Emergency Medical Technician - Basic Health Science CoreChapter 9 Revised: January 2008

2. Chapter 9 Infection Control Revised: January 2008

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) • Government agency responsible for protecting public health through prevention and control of disease • Established guidelines for safe work environments for employees • Requires employer to training employees in management of infectious and hazardous waste products Revised: January 2008

4. Infection Cycle Reservoir Host • Environment is filled with microorganisms • Various ways infection can be transmitted • Chain of events that that describe the origin and transmission of a disease or illness Susceptible Host Portal of Exit Portal of Entry Route of transmission Revised: January 2008

5. Infection Cycle • Reservoir Host – where the organism reside • Animals • Water • Air • Soil • Humans Revised: January 2008

6. Infection Cycle 2. Portal of exit – route by which the pathogen leaves where it resides • Breaks in the skin • Respiratory secretions • Reproductive secretions • Blood Revised: January 2008

7. Infection Cycle • Route of Transmission – method by which the pathogen gets from the reservoir to the new host • Direct contact • Air • insects Revised: January 2008

8. Infection Cycle 4. Portal of Entry – Route the pathogen enters the new host • Respiratory tract • Gastrointestinal tract • Urinary tract • Reproductive tract • Break in protective skin barrier Revised: January 2008

9. Infection Cycle 5. Susceptible Host – person capable of being affected or infected by invading microorganisms • Malnourished • Suppressed immune system • Poor health Revised: January 2008

10. Interruption of the Infection Cycle • Reservoir Host: • Identify pathogen and provide treatment • Maintain proper personal hygiene • Disinfect and sanitize work environment • Portal of Exit: • Wear proper attire • Control body secretions • Wash hands Revised: January 2008

11. Interruption of the Infection Cycle • Route of Transmission: • Properly dispose all infected material • Isolate infected patients from others • Do not work if you are infected • Portal of Entry: • Good Aseptic, disinfection, and sterilization • Susceptible Host: • Identify high risk patients and avoid unnecessary exposure Revised: January 2008

12. Microorganisms and Disease • Organism – any living thing that is composed of one cell • Microorganism – organism that is not visible with the naked eye • Pathogen – disease causing microorganism • Fungi – simple plant. Only mold and yeast can cause disease Mold Yeast Revised: January 2008

13. Microorganisms and Disease • Protozoa – a single celled animal that can cause disease • Virus: • microscopic parasitic organism capable of causing infectious disease • Can only be seen with electron microscope • Not affected by antibiotics • Get food and nutrients from the cell in which they are living Protozoa Herpes Virus Revised: January 2008

14. Microorganisms and Disease • Bacteria: • single celled microorganism • Grows with and without oxygen • Many different shapes • Spores are bacteria that are incased in a protective shell Bacilli Bacteria Staphylococcus Spirilla Streptococci Revised: January 2008

15. Asepsis • Sterile preventing infection • Clean techniques: • Hand washing • Wearing clean uniform • Not touching you hair or face with your hands • Holding contaminated items away from you Revised: January 2008

16. When to Hand Washing • When you arrive to work • Before performing a procedure on a patient • During a procedure when your hands become contaminated • Between patient care • After using the restroom • After removing gloves • Before eating Revised: January 2008

17. Disinfection Methods • Bleach – use spray bottle and fill with 10% bleach. Fill the other 90% with water • Germicide: • Many different product and must read what it disinfects • Prefer to bleach because it does not corrode metal Revised: January 2008

18. Sterilization Methods • Free from all microorganisms • Autoclave uses heat and steam under pressure • Gas sterilization is used when autoclaves can damage the product • Normally wrapped in plastic to protect Autoclaves Gas Sterilizer Revised: January 2008

19. Sterile Technique • Wash you hands • Assemble all the equipment • Open all packages • Do not touch anything sterile • Do not reach across a sterile field • Hold sterile items at waist level Revised: January 2008

20. Sterile Technique 9. Pouring liquid in a sterile container, do not touch the rim 10. Put on sterile gloves 11. Do not cough, sneeze, or talk over sterile field 12. Never leave a sterile field unsupervised Revised: January 2008

21. Donning Sterile Gloves • Obtain pair of sterile gloves in your hand size. • Inspect glove package for signs of contamination • Remove jewelry and scrub hands. • Dry your hands. • Peel open the sterile package. • Grab the inner part of the glove and slide in hand Revised: January 2008

22. Donning Sterile Gloves • Pull glove to wrist • With sterile glove hand, grab the under part of the cuff and slide hand into glove. • Pull glove to wrist. (Do not touch inside of glove) Revised: January 2008

23. Donning Sterile Gloves • Flip cuff and pull over gown. • Slide completed sterile glove hand under the cuff of the other hand and flip cuff and pull over gown. • Interlock hands to prevent touching an unsterile area. Revised: January 2008

24. Removing Gloves • Pinch at the wrist area of the glove and pull glove off. • Use inside of the discarded glove to pinch the other glove or Slide hand under the glove and pull glove off Revised: January 2008

25. Removing Sterile Gloves • Make sure you do not touch the contaiminated part of the glove. • Discard glove in proper bag. • Wash hands. Revised: January 2008

26. Contaminated Sharps • All needles, scalpel blades, and sharp objects need to be disposed in puncture resistant container • Never recap, bend, or manually remove a dirty needle. • Never carry needles or sharps toward people. Always point them toward the floor. Revised: January 2008

27. CDC Guidelines • Standard precautions – guideline for protecting healthcare workers from exposure to blood-borne pathogens in body secretions. • Transmission based precautions – guidelines to prevent transmission of specific infectious and communicable disease of patients suspected or confirmed. Revised: January 2008

28. Modes of Transmission • Contact • Direct – touching an infected patient • Indirect – touching inanimate object that was in contact with an infected patient • Droplet – droplets emitted by coughing, sneezing, talking, singing, or ventilation. • Airborne – nuclei of evaporated infected droplets Revised: January 2008

29. Transmission Based Precautions • Wear gloves whenever in contact with body secretions • Cover cuts and other lesions with plastic bandage • Wear protective eye wear and mask during procedures with possible splattering of body fluids. • Wear disposable gowns with possible splattering of body fluids Revised: January 2008

30. Transmission Based Precautions • Properly dispose of sharps. • Avoid direct patient contact when you have an open wound • Wash you hands • Use disinfectant solution to clean equipment • Avoid giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation; instead use a barrier device or mask. Revised: January 2008

31. References • Pollak, Andrew N. Emergency Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured. 9th ed. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett, 2005. • Stevens, Kay, and Garber, Debra. Introduction to Clinical Allied Healthcare. 2nd ed. Clifton Park, New York: Thomson Delmar Learning, 1996. Revised: January 2008