UNIT 5 INFECTION CONTROL MS. CAREY HEALTH OCCUPATIONS

UNDERSTANDING THE PRINCIPLES OF INFECTION CONTROL HEALTHCARE WORKERS MUST UNDERSTAND THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF INFECTION CONTROL TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND THEIR PATIENTS. THEY MUST KNOW HOW DISEASE IS TRANSMITTED AND HOW TO PREVENT DISEASE TRANSMISSION. A MICROORGANISM IS A SMALL, LIVING ORGANISM THAT IS NOT VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE. YOU MUST USE A MICROSCOPE TO SEE THEM. FOUND EVERYWHERE IN THE ENVIRONMENT FOUND ON AND IN THE HUMAN BODY MANY ARE PART OF NORMAL FLORA OF BODY AND MY BE BENEFICIAL TO YOUR HEALTH

MICROORGANISMS (ALSO CALLED MICROBES) FOUND EVERYWHERE IN THE ENVIRONMENT FOUND ON AND IN THE HUMAN BODY -NONPATHOGENS – BENEFICIAL TO THE HUMAN BODY -PATHOGENS – CAUSE INFECTION OR DISEASE - GERMS MOST NEED WARM, DARK, MOIST ENVIRONMENTS SOME NEED OXYGEN (AEROBIC) AND SOME DO NOT (ANAEROBIC) THE HUMAN BODY IS THE PERFECT ENVIRONMENT FOR MICROORGANISMS TO THRIVE

CLASSIFICATION OF MICROORGANISMS BACTERIA PROTOZOA FUNGI RICKETTSIAE VIRUSES

BACTERIA SIMPLE ONE-CELLED PLANTLIKE ORGANISMS MULTIPLY RAPIDLY CLASSIFIED BY SHAPE AND ARRANGEMENT -COCCI – ROUND IN SHAPE (FIGURE 13-1) IN PAIRS – DIPLOCOCCI (PNEUMONIA) IN CHAINS – STREPTOCOCCUS (STREP THROAT) IN CLUSTERS – STAPHYLOCOCCI (PUS-PRODUCING, LIKE BOILS, SKIN, AND WOUND INFECTIONS)

BACTERIA CONT’D -BACILLI ARE ROD SHAPED (FIGURE 13.2) OCCUR SINGLY, IN PAIRS, OR IN CHAINS MAY HAVE FLAGELLA (LIKE TAILS) ABILITY TO FORM SPORES (THICK WALLED CAPSULES) WHICH MAKE THEM HARD TO KILL CAUSE DISEASES LIKE TUBERCULOSIS, TETANUS, BOTULISM, TYPHOID

BACTERIA CONT’D -SPIRILLA - SPIRAL OR CORKSCREW SHAPE (FIGURE 13-3) -CAUSE SYPHILIS AND CHOLERA

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE ANTIBIOTICS ARE USED TO KILL BACTERIA SOME HAVE BECOME ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT. WHEN BACTERIA BECOME ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT, ANTIBIOTICS ARE NO LONGER EFFECTIVE.

PROTOZOA ONE-CELLED, ANIMAL-LIKE ORGANISMS (FIGURE 13-4) FOUND IN DECAYED MATERIALS AND CONTAMINATED WATER MAY HAVE FLAGELLA FOR MOVEMENT SOME ARE PATHOGENIC – HARMFUL, CAUSING DISEASE EXAMPLES: MALARIA, TRICHOMONAS, AMEBIC DYSENTERY

FUNGI SIMPLE, PLANT-LIKE ORGANISMS LIVE ON DEAD ORGANIC MATTER YEAST AND MOLDS CAN BE PATHOGENIC ANTIBIOTICS DO NOT KILL FUNGI EXAMPLES: RINGWORM. ATHLETE’S FOOT, THRUSH (FIG 13-5)

RICKETTSIAE PARASITIC MICROORGANISMS -CANNOT LIVE OUTSIDE THE CELLS OF ANOTHER LIVING ORGANISM TRANSMITTED TO HUMANS BY THE BITES OF INSECTS (E.G., FLEAS, LICE, TICKS, MITES) EXAMPLES: ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER ANTIBIOTICS ARE EFFECTIVE AGAINST MANY OF THEM

VIRUSES SMALLEST MICROORGANISMS -MUST USE ELECTRON MICROSCOPE TO SEE MUST BE INSIDE ANOTHER LIVING CELL TO REPRODUCE SPREAD BY BLOOD AND BODY SECRETIONS VERY DIFFICULT TO KILL – THEY ARE RESISTANT TO MANY DISINFECTANTS ANTIBIOTICS WILL NOT KILL VIRUSES MANY VIRUSES THAT INFECT ANIMALS CAN MUTATE AND INFECT HUMANS - EXAMPLES: HANTA VIRUS, AVIAN FLU, WEST NILE VIRUS CAUSE MANY DISEASES – COMMON COLD, MEASLES, MUMPS, CHICKEN POX, HERPES, WARTS, THE FLU, POLIO, EBOLA, HEPATITIS A, B, AND C

VIRUSES – HEPATITIS B CAUSED BY HBV TRANSMITTED BY BLOOD, SERUM, AND BODY SECRETIONS AFFECTS THE LIVER VACCINE AVAILABLE FOR PROTECTION VACCINE IS EXPENSIVE – IT’S A SERIES OF THREE SHOTS BY LAW, HEALTH CARE WORKERS WHO MAY BE EXPOSED TO BLOOD OR BODY FLUIDS MUST BE OFFERED THE VACCINE FOR FREE FROM THEIR EMPLOYERS

HEPATITIS C CAUSED BY HCV TRANSMITTED BY BLOOD AND BLOOD-CONTAINING BODY FLUIDS MANY INFECTED INDIVIDUALS ARE ASYMPTOMATIC (HAVE NO SYMPTOMS) OTHERS HAVE MILD SYMPTOMS – LIKE THE FLU CAN CAUSE SEVERE LIVER DAMAGE CURRENTLY, NO VACCINE IS READY FOR USE VACCINE IS IN DEVELOPMENT STAGE VERY HARD TO KILL – CAN SURVIVE IN DRIED BLOOD FOR SEVERAL DAYS

AIDS – ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME CAUSED BY THE HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) SUPPRESSES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM INDIVIDUAL BECOMES SUSCEPTIBLE TO CANCERS AND INFECTIONS THAT WOULD NOT AFFECT A HEALTHY PERSON NO CURE PRESENTLY AND NO VACCINE TAKE PRECAUTIONS FOR PREVENTION TRANSMITTED THROUGH BLOOD AND BODILY FLUIDS

TYPES OF INFECTIONS INFECTIONS AND DISEASES ARE CLASSIFIED AS: ENDOGENOUS - ONE THAT ORIGINATES WITHIN THE BODY (TUMORS, HEART DISEASE, DIABETES, ETC...) EXOGENOUS – ONE THAT ORIGINATES OUTSIDE THE BODY (PATHOGENIC ORGANISMS – GERMS, RADIATION, TRAUMA, ELECTRIC SHOCK, ETC…) NOSOCOMIAL – AN INFECTION THAT IS ACQUIRED IN A HEALTH CARE FACILITY (SUCH AS A HOSPITAL OR NURSING HOME). THEY ARE TRANSMITTED BY HEALTH CARE WORKERS TO THE PATIENT OPPORTUNISTIC – OCCUR WHEN THE BODY’S DEFENSES ARE WEAK

CHAIN OF INFECTION CAUSATIVE AGENT – THE PATHOGEN (THE BACTERIA OR VIRUS) RESERVOIR – THE AREA THE BACTERIA OR VIRUS LIVES (HUMAN BODY, FOMITES, ANIMALS, THE ENVIRONMENT) A FOMITE IS AN OBJECT THAT IS CONTAMINATED WITH A PATHOGEN, LIKE A DOORKNOB, BEDPAN, DESK, TEXTBOOK (YUCK!) PORTAL OF EXIT – A WAY FOR THE PATHOGEN TO ESCAPE (URINE, BLOOD, DRAINING WOUNDS, SALIVA, ETC…) MODE OF TRANSMISSION – A WAY THE PATHOGEN CAN BE TRANSMITTED (PERSON-TO-PERSON, BUG BITE, TOUCHING CONTAMINATED OBJECTS UNWASHED HANDS! PORTAL OF ENTRY – A WAY FOR A PATHOGEN TO ENTER THE NEW RESERVOIR OR HOST BREAKS IN THE SKIN, RESPIRATORY TRACT, DIGESTIVE TRACT, MUCOUS MEMBRANES SUSCEPTIBLE HOST – PERSON LIKELY TO GET AN INFECTION, USUALLY BECAUSE THEIR BODY DEFENSES ARE WEAK.

BODY DEFENSES MUCOUS MEMBRANES CILIA COUGHING AND SNEEZING HCL IN THE STOMACH TEARS FEVER INFLAMMATION RESPONSE IMMUNE RESPONSE

HOW TO BREAK THE CHAIN OF INFECTION IF YOU CAN ELIMINATE ANY PART OF THE CHAIN, THE SPREAD OF DISEASE OR INFECTION WILL BE STOPPED WHAT ARE SOME WAYS YOU CAN BREAK THE CHAIN OF INFECTION? IMMUNIZATIONS HANDWASHING PROPER DISPOSAL OF CONTAMINATED OBJECTS PROPER FOOD HANDLING WEARING PROPER PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

ASEPTIC TECHNIQUES PATHOGENS ARE EVERYWHERE CONTAMINATED MEANS THAT PATHOGENS AND ORGANISMS ARE PRESENT A MAJOR WAY TO BREAK THE CHAIN OF INFECTION IS TO USE ASEPTIC TECHNIQUES WHILE PROVIDING HEALTH CARE ASEPSIS IS THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE CAUSING MICROORGANISMS, OR PATHOGENS

COMMON ASEPTIC TECHNIQUES INCLUDE: HANDWASHING GOOD PERSONAL HYGIENE USE OF DISPOSABLE GLOVES PROPER CLEANING OF INSTRUMENTS AND EQUIPMENT THOROUGH CLEANING OF THE ENVIRONMENT ANTISEPSIS – THE USE OF ANTISEPTICS TO PREVENT OR INHIBIT GROWTH OF PATHOGENIC ORGANISMS. WHO WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO USE ANTISEPTICS IN SURGERY?

ASEPTIC TECHNIQUES CONT’D ANTISEPSIS—CAN BE USED ON THE SKIN – THE USE OF ANTISEPTICS TO PREVENT OR INHIBIT GROWTH OF PATHOGENIC ORGANISMS. NOT EFFECTIVE ON SPORES OR VIRUSES. DISINFECTION—USED MAINLY ON OBJECTS, CAN DAMAGE OR IRRITATE SKIN. PROCESS THAT DESTROYS OR KILLS PATHOGENIC ORGANISMS. NOT ALWAYS EFFECTIVE ON SPORES OR VIRUSES. STERILIZATION—USE OF STEAM UNDER PRESSURE, GAS, RADIATION, AND CHEMICALS ON OBJECTS. THIS PROCESS DESTROYS ALL MICROORGANISMS

METHODS OF ASEPTIC CONTROL ULTRASONIC – THE USE OF SOUND WAVES TO CLEAN AN OBJECT THAT IS SOAKED IN A CLEANING SOLUTION. IT IS USED TO REMOVE RESIDUE AND DOES NOT KILL SPORES AND VIRUSES. THIS CLEANS AN ITEM BUT DOES NOT STERILIZE IT. CHEMICAL DISINFECTION – DOES NOT KILL ALL SPORES AND VIRUSES. ITEMS MUST BE CLEANED AND DRIED BEFORE SOAKING TO PREVENT DILUTION. CARE MUST BE TAKEN IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME AN ITEM MUST BE SOAKED. AUTOCLAVE – USES STEAM UNDER PRESSURE, GAS, OR DRY HEAT TO STERILIZE INSTRUMENTS AND SUPPLIES. IT DESTROYS ALL MICROORGANISMS, BOTH PATHOGENIC AND NONPATHOGENIC, INCLUDING SPORES AND VIRUSES. ITEMS MUST BE WRAPPED TO REMAIN STERILE FOR UP TO 30 DAYS.