This is an introductory study material for nursing students regarding infection control. it includes the definition of infection, causes, chain of infection, infectious process, HAI.

1. Infection Control

2. Overall Objective
● Students gain knowledge and skills in infection
control and describe the methods in clinical
settings and demonstrate infection control
practices.

3. Specific Objectives
At the end of the class, students are able to
1.Define infection, colonization , communicable
disease, symptomatic and asymptomatic
infections.
2. Describe the events in chain of transmission
of infection
3. List the factors influencing the growth of
microbes
4. List the various mode of transmission of
infection

4. 5. Explain the different stages in the course of
infection
6. Enumerate defense against infection
7. List down the cardinal signs of inflammation
8. Explain the steps in inflammatory response
9. Explain health care associated infections,
types , prevention and its control.

5. Nature of Infection
Infection
Entry and Multiplication of an Organism in a
Host.
( infectious agent –PATHOGEN)

6. COLONIZATION
COMMUNICABLE DISEASE

7. Symptomatic Infection
Pathogens multiply and cause clinical
signs and symptoms.
Asymptomatic Infection
Pathogens multiply but no clinical signs
and symptoms.

8. CHAIN OF INFECTION

9. ● Infectious Agent
bacteria, virus, fungi, protozoa
Resident Organisms
Permanent residents of the skin, multiply and
causes no illness.
Transient Organisms
Attach to the normal skin when in
contact with another person or object during
normal activity.

10. Potential for microorganisms to cause disease
depends on:-
# sufficient no. of organisms
# virulence or ability to survive in the host
# ability to enter and survive in the host
# susceptibility of the host

11. ● RESERVOIR
Place where microorganisms can survive.
Factors influencing the growth of microorganisms
1. Food
2. Oxygen
3. Water
4. Temperature (20 to 43 degree Celsius or 68 to 109
degree Fahrenheit)
5. pH ( 5 – 7)
6. Light

12. PORTAL OF EXIT
● Feces - pathogens of typhoid, cholera, dysentery,
anthrax, smallpox
● Urine - pathogens of typhoid, TB
● Sputum/ Saliva - TB, whooping cough, rabies,
pneumonia
● Skin & mucous membrane - smallpox, measles,
chicken pox, leprosy, syphilis
● Nose & throat - diphtheria, whooping cough,
mumps, polio, TB,
● Eye secretions - conjunctivitis, trachoma
● Blood - malaria, dengue, plague,

13. MODE OF TRANSMISSION
1. DIRECT TRANSMISSION
● Through contact - STDs
● Infected hands - Staphylococcus,
Streptococcus
● Droplet infection - diphtheria, TB, whooping
cough, measles, mumps
● Congenital infection - Rubella virus, Herpes
simplex virus, T pallidium
● Iatrogenic infection - AIDS, Hep B,C & D

14. 2. INDIRECT TRANSMISSION
● Vehicle transmission - water, milk, food, blood
● Vector transmission - mechanical & biological
transmission

15. PORTAL OF ENTRY
1. Alimentary tract
2. Respiratory tract
3. Urogenital tract
4. Inoculation
SUSCEPTIBLE HOST

16. THE INFECTIOUS PROCESS
Stages of course of Infection
1. INCUBATION PERIOD
2. PRODROMAL STAGE
3. ILLNESS STAGE
4. CONVALESCENCE

17. Defense against Infection
● NORMAL FLORA
● BODY SYSTEM DEFENSE
● INFLAMMATION

18. INFLAMMATION
● The body’s cellular response to injury, infection,
irritation is termed as inflammation.
Signs of localized infection are:
1. Swelling
2. Redness
3. Pain/ tenderness
4. Loss of function in
the affected part

19. ● Inflammatory response includes following:
1. Vascular and Cellular Response
● small blood vessels get affected
● vasodilation of arterioles venules
● increase in blood flow
● Redness and hot

20. 2. Formation inflammatory exudates
# Serous ( clear like plasma )
# Sanguineous ( contains RBC )
# Purulent ( contains WBC & Platelets )
3. Tissue repair

21. HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATED
INFECTIONS ( HAI)
● Defined as infections developing in patients after
admission to the hospital, which were neither
present nor in incubation at the time of
hospitalization.
● Infection that first appears between 48 hrs & four
days after admission are considered as HAI.

22. # IATROGENIC INFECTION
Type of HAI from a diagnostic or therapeutic
procedure.
Symptoms of HAI
● Fever
● rapid breathing
● mental confusion
● low BP
● reduced urine output
● increased WBC

23. Causes of HAI
● prolonged hospital stay
● severity of underlying illness
● compromised nutritional or immune status
● use of indwelling catheters
● failure of health care workers to wash hands before
procedure.
● prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria from the
overuse of antibiotics.

24. Factors inducing HAI
● Age
● Susceptibility
● Infected patients
● Hospital environment
● Surgical & Diagnostic
procedures
● Drug resistance

25. Sources of HAI
1. ENDOGENOUS 2. EXOGENOUS
● Patients & staff
● Environmental
sources.(Inanimate
objects, hospital air,
surfaces)

26. Routes of transmission of HAI
1. CONTACT
2. AIR BORNE
3. ORAL
4. PARENTERAL
5. BODY FLUIDS

27. TYPES OF HAI
● Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection(CLABSI)
● Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI)
● Surgical Site Infection ( SSI)
● Ventilator Associated Pneumonia ( VAP )

28. DIAGNOSIS
TREATMENT

29. Prevention of HAI
● Use of sterile equipments. Use of aseptic techniques.
● Thorough handwashing
● Proper sterilization and disinfection
● Early detection and treatment
● Rational use of antibiotics
● Proper disposal of hospital waste

30. Control of HAI
● Every hospital should have Hospital Infection Control
Committee or Healthcare associated infection control
committee (HAICC).
● Proper use of antimicrobial agents
● Proper sterilization and disinfection
● Health education programs for health care workers
● Incidence and types of infection
● Emergence of drug resistance
● Infection control activities.

31. ASSIGNMENT
● A 23 year old man presented with the complaints of vomiting, loose stools
(3 episodes) and dehydration since 1 day. He is diagnosed to have food
poisoning. Identify
1. Pathogen?
2. Reservoir?
3. Mode of transmission?

32. Bibliography
● potter and perry “Fundamentals of Nursing” 7th edition 2009, Elsevier
publications pg no 641-648