Infection control is a set of practices and procedures implemented to prevent or stop the spread of infections, particularly in healthcare settings, but also in various other environments.

1. FUNDUMENTALS OF NURSING II
INFECTION CONTROL
Shewangizaw Mekonnen ( Assistant Professor of pediatrics and
child health nursing)

2. Introduction:Infection Control
❖ Infection control is a set of practices and procedures
implemented to prevent or stop the spread of infections,
➢ particularly in healthcare settings, but also in various
other environments.
❖ The primary aim of infection control is to reduce the
risk of acquiring or transmitting infections among
individuals.
❖ It involves a combination of measures, including proper
hand hygiene, sanitation, the use of personal protective
equipment, and adherence to specific protocols for the
prevention and management of infections.

3. Importance of infection control #1
❖Protecting patients:
➢ Particularly vulnerable individuals, such as those with
compromised immune systems or recovering from
surgeries, are at a higher risk of developing infections.
❖ Protecting healthcare workers
❖ Reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs):
➢ HAIs are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality,
➢ they can lead to increased healthcare costs and
prolonged hospital stays
❖ Preventing the spread of infections in the community.
➢ This is particularly important during outbreaks of
infectious diseases

4. Importance of infection control #2
❖ Reduction of Antibiotic Resistance:
➢ Effective infection control practices can reduce the
spread of resistant pathogens and help preserve the
effectiveness of antibiotics.
❖ Cost Savings:
➢ Infection control can lead to substantial cost savings
for healthcare facilities.
❖ Quality of Care:
➢ Effective infection control is an integral part of
providing high-quality healthcare.

5. Nature of Infection #1
❖ Infection:
➢ An infection is the growth of microorganisms in
body tissue where they are not usually found.
➢ Such a microorganism is called an infectious
agent.
✓ Infectious agents: Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and
parasites.
➢ If the microorganism produces no clinical
evidence of disease, the infection is called
asymptomatic or subclinical.

6. Nature of Infection #2
❖ Infection may be local or generalized and spread
throughout the body.
❖ Pathophysiology
➢ Infectious agent enters the host → it proliferate and
reacts with the defense mechanisms of the body →
Produces infection signs and symptoms.
❖ Clinical Futures of Infection:
➢ May include pain, swelling, redness, functional
disorders, rise in temperature and pulse rate and
leukocytosis

7. Classification of infection: based on place of acquisition
❖ Community Acquired Infection: Patient may
acquire infection before admission to the hospital
❖ Hospital Acquired Infection (Nosocomial
infection): Patient may get infected inside the
hospital. This include:
➢Infections that appear more than 48 hours after
admission.
➢ Those acquired in the hospital but appear after
discharge, also
➢ Occupational infections among staff.

8. Health care associated Infection (HAIs)
❖The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) also classifies infections based on the
devices used in medical procedures.
❖ These healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)
include:
➢Central line-associated bloodstream infections
➢Catheter-associated urinary tract infections
➢Ventilator-associated pneumonia
➢Surgical site infections

9. Infectiousprocess
❖ The infectious process involves the following components:
❖Agent:
➢The microorganism that causes the infection, such as
viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasite
❖Reservoir:
➢The natural habitat in which the agent lives and
multiplies, such as humans, animals, or the environment
❖ Portal of exit
➢ The ways through which the infectious agent leaves the
reservoir, such as blood , secretions, excretions, and skin.

10. Infectious process cont.…
❖ Mode of transmission:
➢ The way the agent is transmitted from the reservoir to
the susceptible host, such as direct or indirect contact,
droplets, Vehicles, airborne, or vector-borne.
❖Portals of entry:
➢ The route through which the agent enters the
body, such as the mouth, nose, eyes, or urogenital
openings, or through wounds or bites.
❖Susceptible host:
➢ A person who is at risk of getting the infection due to
factors such as age, underlying medical conditions, or
weakened immune system.

11. Chain of Infection

12. Mode of transmission #1
❖ Contact transmission:
➢ Direct contact:
✓involve touching or contact with body fluids (e.g.,
blood, saliva, or mucous secretions) , kissing, or sexual
intercourse.
➢ Indirect contact: Involves,
✓ contact with contaminated objects or surfaces and
then touching their face or mouth.
✓ Example, contaminated doorknobs, rails, shared
equipment, furniture, and more.

13. Mode of transmission #2
❖ Droplet transmission:
➢ Respiratory droplets produced when an infected person
coughs, sneezes, talks, or breathes, usually within about 6
feet.
➢Diseases like influenza, COVID-19, and the common cold
transmitted through respiratory droplets
❖Airborne transmission:
➢Infections can become aerosolized and remain suspended
in the air for longer periods, making them potentially
infectious over longer distances.
➢ Diseases like tuberculosis and measles can be
transmitted via airborne particles.

14. Mode of transmission #3
❖ Vehicles:
➢ This mode of transmission involves the spread of infections
through contaminated non-living intermediaries, such as food,
water, medications, or medical equipment.
➢ Example, when individuals consume contaminated food or
water (foodborne infections), or use contaminated medical
products.
❖ Vector-Borne Transmission:
➢ Certain infections are spread by vectors, such as mosquitoes,
ticks, and fleas.
➢Diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and Lyme disease are
examples of vector-borne infections.

15. InfectioncontrolandSafetyMeasures:
Standard precautions
❖ Standard precautions are the minimum infection prevention
practices that apply to all patient care,
➢ regardless of suspected or confirmed infection status of the
patient,
➢ in any setting where health care is delivered.
❖ Key standard precautions include
➢ Hand washing.
➢ Personal protective equipment (PPE)
➢ Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette
➢ Sharps safety
➢ Safe injection practices:
➢ Sterile instruments and devices:
➢ Clean and disinfected environmental surfaces

16. Hand washing
❖ Proper hand washing is the single most important
way to prevent and reduce infections.
➢ Hands should be washed with clean, running
water (warm or cold), and soap.
✓ The hands should be lathered with soap for at least
20 seconds, making sure to wash the backs of the
hands, between the fingers, and under the nails.
➢If soap and water are not readily available, an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60%
alcohol can be used to clean the hands.

17. Hand washing: Clean hand is Caring Hand.

18. Handwashing
❖ Hands should be washed:
➢ Before and after patient contact
➢ Before putting on gloves and after taking them off
➢ After touching blood and body substances (or
contaminated patient care equipment), broken skin, or
mucous membranes (even if you wear gloves)
➢ Between different procedures on the same patient
➢ At the beginning and end of duty.
➢ Gloves cannot substitute hand washing which must be
done before putting on gloves and after their removal.
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19. Wearing Glove
❖ Disposable gloves must be worn when:
➢ Direct contact with B/BF is expected.
➢ Examining a lacerated or non-intact skin, e.g. wound
dressing.
➢ Examination of oropharynx, GIT, UIT and dental
procedures
➢ Working directly with contaminated instruments or
equipment.
➢ HCW has skin cuts, or lesions
❖ Sterile gloves are used for invasive procedures

20. Gown/ Apron
❖ Gowns serve as a barrier between
the surgical team (surgeons,
nurses, and other healthcare
professionals) and the patient.
❖ Protect skin from blood or body
fluid contact
❖ Prevent soiling of clothing during
procedures that may involve
contact with blood or any body
fluids (secretions/excretions)
❖Sterile linen or disposable ones are
used for sterile procedures.

21. Mask, goggles and face shield
❖ Protect mucous membranes of eyes, nose and mouth
when contact with blood and body fluids is likely or
possible
❖ Must be used during surgical operations to protect
wound from staff breathings.

22. Linen
❖ Handle soiled linen to prevent touching of skin or mucous
membranes
❖ Do not pre-rinse soiled linens in patient care areas
❖Linen should be placed in leak-proof container.

23. Handling Sharps
❖ Needle stick and sharp injuries carry the
risk of blood born infection e.g AIDS,
HCV,HBV and others.
❖ Sharp injuries must be reported and notified
❖ NEVER TO RECAP NEEDLES
❖ Dispose of used needles and small sharps
immediately in puncture resistant boxes
(sharp boxes).
❖ Sharp boxes: must be easily accessible,
must not be overfilled, labeled or color
coded.
❖ Needle incinerators can be another safe way
of disposal.
❖ Reusable sharps must be handled with care
avoiding direct handling during processing.

24. Exposure to Blood/ Body fluid
❖ Puncture wounds should be washed immediately and
the wound should be caused to bleed.
❖ If skin contamination should occur, wash the area
immediately
❖ Splashes to the nose or mouth should be flushed with
water.
❖ Eye splashes require irrigation with clean water, saline,
or a sterile irritant.
❖ Complete Employee Incident Report.

25. Principles of Standard Precautions
▪Consider every person (patient or staff) as potentially
infectious and susceptible to infection.
▪Apply to care of all clients and patients attending
healthcare facilities.
▪Reason: Most people with HIV or other life-threatening
blood-borne diseases do not have symptoms
▪ Apply to all blood, body fluids, secretions and excretions
(except sweat), non-intact skin and mucous membranes.
▪ Reason: Increased risk of exposure by touching, accidental
injury (needle-stick), or contact (splashing or spraying of
potentially contaminated blood or body fluids)
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26. Disinfection
❖ Disinfection is the process of killing or
removing most microorganisms on a surface.
❖ Disinfection is necessary for all instruments
that do not enter sterile tissue or the vascular
system.
➢ Using chemical disinfection with manual
cleaning,
➢ using “self-disinfecting” surfaces that are
impregnated or coated with metals such as
copper, silver, and germicides, or
➢ no-touch technology such as ultraviolet light
(UV-C) or fogging with hydrogen peroxide
vapor or mist
❖ Environmental surfaces should be cleaned
and disinfected regularly to prevent the
spread of infection

27. Disinfection
❖ Prepare chlorine solution
➢The 0.5% chlorine solution can be prepared by adding
one part of concentrated household bleach (sodium
hypochlorite solution, 5% available chlorine) to nine
parts of water.

28. Sterilization
❖Sterilization is necessary for all instruments that enter
sterile tissue or the vascular system
❖Sterilization destroys all microorganisms, including
substantial numbers of resistant bacterial spores, by
heat (steam autoclave, dry heat, and unsaturated
chemical vapor).
❖Medical equipment that should be sterilized includes
➢ surgical instruments,
➢implantable devices, and
➢other instruments that come into contact with sterile
tissue or the vascular system

29. Strict aseptic technique
1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after the procedure
2. Use a sterile drape to create a sterile field, to the waist level
3. Open sterile packages and place sterile instruments and
supplies on the sterile field
4. Put on a sterile gloves
5. Avoid touching non-sterile surfaces or items
6. Use sterile instruments to perform the procedure
7. Avoid talking, coughing, or sneezing over the sterile field
8. Dispose of all contaminated items properly
9. Don’t cross over the sterile field
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIPjtclwP6k
❖..Setting Up A Sterile Dressing Tray and Principles of Sterility
(Nursing Skills).mkv