Breaking the chain of infection

1. Infection Control
IHS Unit 3

2.  Identify the importance and purpose of infection
control.
 Discuss how diseases spread.
 Indentify ways to prevent various infectious disease
types.
Goals

3.  Contagious or communicable disease is caused by one
of several forms of microbe.
 Microbes are organisms too small to see with our eyes.
 They may be bacteria, virus, fungus or protozoa.
 If they cause disease, they are called pathogens.
 Most microbes are harmless.
 Pathogens cause disease by using ir interfering with
our normal body function to get nutrients or
resources for it self.
Germs?

4.  Pathogens follow a process or cycle in order to cause
disease and spread through a population and involves
the following:
 Reservior
 Portal of Exit
 Mode of Transmission
 Portal of Entry
 Susceptible host
The Chain of Infection

5.  Any place a pathogen can live.
 Some disease cannot live outside the human body (such
as HIV)
 Some diseases can live in food or water
 Some can travel through the air
 Some can live on nonliving surfaces such as doorknobs
or tables.
 It is important to address the reservior when trying to
prevent the spread of a disease.
Reservior

6.  The pathogen must then find a way to escape from the
reservoir.
 If the pathogen is in the human body it can spread one of many
ways:
 Saliva
 Feces or Urine
 Vomit
 Sweat
 Blood
 Fluids exchanged in sexual contact
 Pathogens can also spread via animal body fluids and tissues, via
water or food.
Portal Of Exit

7.  The pathogen must now travel to a new host.
 Some examples include:
 Direct contact with body fluids
 Droplet (via cough or sneeze in the air)
 Airborne (micropartices that float around)
 Person to person by casual touch
 Other means such as water, food, soil
Mode of Transmission

8.  To continue to grow, a pathogen must find a way into
a new reservoir or host.
 These are similar to portal of exit, and depends largerly
on how the pathogen is traveling to the new host.
 Examples include: Mucous membranes, broken skin,
reproductive or digestive tracts, respiratory tracts, blood
Portal of Entry

9.  A pathogen must make sure that the new host is
susceptible if it is to cause disease.
 People who may be more susceptible to disease may
include those who are already sick or unhealthy
(compromised host), very young or old people, and
people who take high risk behavior.
 People who are less susceptible are those who may be
immune to a disease from vaccination, via breast milk, or
via previous infection.
Finding a New Home

11.  In order to prevent the spread of disease, HCPs and
other people must take action to break the chain of
infection.
 Examples include:
 Disinfection of surfaces and supplies (reservoir)
 Handwashing (portal of exit and entry)
 Getting vaccinated (susceptible host and reservoir)
 Using aspetic technique (all)
 Using Standard or Special Precautions
Breaking the Chain

12.  This refers to the actions and procedures HCPs take
to prevent the spread of disease causing organisms in
all patients and practices.
 Includes things like following Standard or Special
precautions, having good personal hygiene, and taking
care to clean supplies and tools as directed.
 This is different from sterile practice because sterile
relies on killing ALL microbes and spores, and is reserved
for specific settings.
Medical Asepsis

13.  These are OSHA guidelines that apply to all health care
settings and EVERY patient.
 Assume all body fluids are infectious
 Wear appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment such
as gloves, masks, gowns)
 Dispose of sharps properly
 Clean and store supplies as directed
 Blood Born Pathogen education and Hep B Vaccine for all
HCPs
 Proper labeling and disposal of biohazardous waste.
Standard Precautions

14.  Seems basic, but is the MOST EFFECTIVE measure in preventing
the spread of disease.
 It is better to use soap and water, but hand sanitizer or wipes are
okay if that is all you have.
 Hand hygiene should be performed before and after each patient
contact, before and after eating or going to the bathroom.
 Procedure:
 Lather all surfaces of hands and wrists for 30 seconds with soap and warm
water. Focus on areas between fingers and around nail beds.
 Rinse so that the water runs down your hands toward the fingers.
 Dry your hands with disposable paper towels and avoid touching
potentially contaminated surfaces.
Hand Washing

15.  Special Precautions are applied in situations where
standard precautions are not enough to ensure
patient or HCP safety.
 Examples include: Drug Resistant infections, infections
that are highly contagious or incurable, or for patients
that have a very weak immune system.
 Types: Contact Precautions, Airborne Precautions,
Reverse Precautions
Special Precautions

16.  In the past 10 to 15 years, there has been an alarming increase in
the number of microbes that do not respond to standard
treatment. (Ex MRSA, VRE)
 Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections
 Antifungals are used to treat fungal infections
 Antipararsitics are used to treat protozoa infections
 Most are bacteria, and it is likely due to the over use of
antibiotics in healthcare and in settings such as livestock.
 Bacteria are able to over come the medication after frequent
exposure by developing ways to fight it.
 Problems occur die the fact that we cannot kill the infections
once they are inside the patient, due to lack of treatment.
Drug Resistant Pathogens