Infection Control

Breaking the Cycle! The principles of asepsis must be applied to break the cycle of infection and its spread

Asepsis The condition in which pathogens are absent or controlled In medical settings – Asepsis can break the COI by preventing the transmission of pathogens

3 Measures to break the Cycle of Infection (1) Housekeeping standards  reduces the number of pathogens present (2) Government guidelines  protect against diseases (3) Educating patients

Medical vs. Surgical Asepsis Clean technique Maintaining cleanliness  prevent the spread of microorganisms Ensure there are as few microorganisms in the medical environment as possible Sterile technique Depends on a completely sterile environment that eliminates all microorganisms

Medical Assistant: Ensuring Asepsis (1) Office Procedures No eating or drinking” policy (2) Asepsis During Medical Assistant Procedures Prevention of cross- contamination (3) Hand washing Most important aseptic procedure* (4) Avoid touching your mouth or face (5) Stay at home if you have a fever

Sterile Technique Surgical asepsis takes medical asepsis to another level Strict set order of procedures An object or area is considered either sterile or not sterile

Surgical Scrub vs. Hand washing (1) Sterile scrub brush is used instead of a nailbrush (2) Both hands and forearms are washed (3) Hands kept above elbows (4) Sterile towels are used instead of paper towels (5) Sterile gloves are put on immediately after hands are dried

Surgical Asepsis During a Surgical Procedure (1) Prepare the area (2) Keep instruments sterile (3) Avoid touching instruments that are not sterile (4) Post-procedure, continue to use aseptic techniques (5) place any disposable instruments into the bio-hazardous waste container

Procedure is complete – you have disposed of bio-hazardous waste… Next Steps (1)Sanitizing, (2)Disinfecting, and (3)Sterilizing instruments

Sterile Field: Review An area free of microorganisms that will be used as a work area during a surgical procedure A sterile field is considered to become contaminated and must be redone when… An unsterile item touches the field Some one reaches across the field The field becomes wet

Prepare a large basin with hot, soapy water and separate sharps from non-sharps Carefully place instruments in the detergent solution to soak Scrub each item with a plastic scrub brush ensuring to remove any visible signs of contamination (1) Sanitization

Sanitization Continued Rinse each piece of equipment under hot running water ensuring that all soap is removed Place each instrument on a clean paper towel, rolling it to make sure it dries thoroughly Wipe down the area with damp towel and use a new paper towel to ensure that the area is dry

(2) Disinfection Only disinfect instruments that have come into contact with blood Prepare a small basin with an alcohol disinfectant unit ensuring that the disinfectant reaches every surface of the instruments

Disinfection Continued Use sterile transfer forceps to remove each instrument and place them on a clean paper towel, patting it to make sure it dries thoroughly Wipe down the area with bleach and a paper towel and ensure that the area is dry

(3) Sterilization Prepare sterile porous paper and place each instrument into the middle using forceps Do not allow instruments to touch each other Wrap instruments snug – close package with sterile tape Procedure 2-1 & 2-4 on pages 33 & 34

Sterilization Continued Label package with the date, your name, and name of instruments inside Instruments are placed in autoclave (121°C – 132°C) Remove with sterile transfer forceps and oven mitts and store sterile instruments in the same ‘sterile’ location

Textbook Work (1)Copy ‘Wrapping Instruments’ pg. 33 procedure 2.1 (2) Look over ‘Running a load through the autoclave’ pg. 36 procedure 2.2