2. What isinfection
prevention and
control?
• Infection prevention and control is the use of safe
practices and ways of working that help to prevent or
reduce infections in a health care facility
• Good standard infection control and prevention is
essential for the safety or patients,staff and other
people in interaction with a healthcare facility
• Infection control is the responsibility of all staff working
in a health care facility
3. What are Healthcare Associated
Infections (HCAI)?
• An HCAI is an infection that may affect people when they are
receiving healthcare and not something that they had experienced
previously. People may catch these infections in hospitals, care
homes, doctors' surgeries, health centres and even at home (if that
is where they are being cared for). Therefore, it is not only a
problem in acute settings, it can occur wherever healthcare is
being delivered.
4. Impact of HCAI
• Some people are more susceptible to HCAI, this could be due to:
• low immunity
• After surgical procedures due to inadequate antibiotics and poor wound
care
• recovering from illness
• being under nourished
• having an underlying disease
• if they are very young/old.
6. Standard precautionary
measures
• Hand hygiene
• Personal protective
equipment
• Clean environment
• Cleaning equipment
• Waste management
• Aseptic techniques
• Blood and body fluid safe
handling
7. Hand hygiene
• WHO estimates that only 40% of healthcare staff worldwide decontaminate their hands
often enough to deliver safe care.
• Hand hygiene has been described as being the most important tool in preventing the
spread of HCAI between service users and healthcare staff.
• Hands must be cleaned properly and at appropriate times throughout the day.
• If people don’t clean their hands, they can transfer infection to:
• service users
• colleagues
• family and friends.
• Before each working shift, assess your hands for cuts, cracks and breaks in the skin that
could harbour microorganisms. Cover any cuts and abrasions with a waterproof dressing,
change the dressing when required, and keep the area clean to reduce the risk of infection.
• Everyone should comply with their organisations hand hygiene policy and are responsible
for reporting any incidents/risk that occur.
• Remember hand hygiene is everyone’s business and we all have a personal
responsibilityto undertake effective hand hygiene.
8. When should hands be cleaned
• Before starting work,or using equipment
• Before handling food ordrink
• After using the toilet
• After blowing the nose, sneezing or coughing
• Before contact with a service user or their belongings
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• After handling waste
• After touching any animals, including food or cages
• After removing used PPE (such asgloves)
9. Personal Protective Equipment
• The correct use of personal protection equipment (PPE) is one of the
standard principles for preventing and controlling the spread of
infection that should be practised by all staff.
• This barrier has the potential to block the transmission of contaminants
from
blood, body fluids or respiratory secretions.
• PPEincludes items such as gloves, aprons, fluid resistant surgical mask
(FRSM),
gowns, overalls, eye and face protection.
• PPEshould be available at the point of use in both the community and
clinical
settings.
• If used incorrectly, PPEcan increase the risk of transmitting infections.
10.
11. • All PPE should be:
• located close to the point of use
• stored to prevent contamination in a clean, dry area until required
for use (expiry dates must be kept to)
• checked prior to use for cleanliness, damage and to check they fit
correctly
• single-use only items unless specified by the manufacturer or as
agreed for extended/sessional use including surgical facemasks
• changed immediately after contact with a service user, after
completing a procedure or task, or if it becomes torn, punctured or
otherwise damaged
• disposed of after use into the correct waste stream, for example,
healthcare waste or domestic waste
• safely doffed (removed) to avoid self-contamination
• PPE items for example, non-disposable goggles, face shields, visors -
must be
decontaminated after each use
12. Clean environment
• Service users expect healthcare premises to be clean, tidy and safe.
Microorganisms breed in dusty and damp conditions, so it’s very important that
no areas are missed when cleaning or dealing with spillages. The best weapon
against the spread of infection is to ensure service users are cared for in a clean
environment and to ensure that the environment and any equipment within it are
kept hygienically clean.
• Healthcare staff must ensure that they work together as a team to provide a
clean and safe environment.All staff should have an awareness of their
organisation’s policy and guidelines on cleaning.
• Any problems need to be reported to an appropriate manager, such as:
• any problems with facilities or supplies
• infection risks or hazards that are beyond your responsibility to handle
• chairs, mattresses or furnishings that are split, torn or damaged for them to be
removed, repaired or replaced.
• Complete cleaning and disinfecting records and schedules accurately and
promptly as required by local policies/procedures.
13. • Some microorganisms that live on the skin can survive for a very
long time in dust. Other microorganisms form spores that also
survive a long time in dust. If people come into contact with dust,
there is a high risk that they will come into contact with
microorganisms or spores.
• Ensure all areas are dust free and thoroughly cleaned, paying
attention to:
• those areas that are frequently touched or used
• all upward-facing surfaces
• sanitary areas
• areas that are hard to reach and may be overlooked in routine
cleaning
14. Equipment Cleaning
• Decontamination is a combination of processes - cleaning, disinfection and/or sterilisation -
that are used to ensure a reusable medical device or service user equipment is safe for
further use.
• Equipment should be:
• fit for purpose
• in a good state of repair
• cleaned properly after each use following manufacturer’s instructions:
• for non-electrical equipment, soap and hot water or detergent wipes should be used for
cleaning
• alcohol wipes should be used for disinfection
• high-risk items that are not single use, should also be sterilised
• cleaning always precedes the disinfection and sterilisation processes.
• stored in a clean, dry, designated place.
• Dispose of spent or unused cleaning and disinfectant solutions safely in a designated area in
accordance with local policies
15.
16. Waste Management
• It is important that all waste is segregated and disposed of correctly and that any spillages are
cleaned up rightaway.
• Clinical staff that use sharps have a responsibility to ensure they safely dispose of used sharps
immediately afteruse.
• The following statements represent the best practice in waste disposal:
• if unsure, ask for advice
• wear the appropriate PPE
• never fill bags more than 2/3rd full. This allows enough space for the bag to be tied using a suitable
zip tie or secure knot
• do not exceed the fill line on sharps boxes
• when handling tied waste bags, hold the bag by the neck and at an arm’s length
• label waste bags with the address and date prior to collection by the contractor to ensure traceability
• if a waste bag is torn, the torn bag and the contents should be placed inside a new waste bag
17.
18. Handling Sharp waste
• sharps containers are not filled to more than two thirds or to the fill line
•
handling of sharps is kept to a minimum
• syringes or needles are not dismantled by hand and are disposed of as a single unit
straight into a sharps container for disposal
• sharps containers are readily available as close as possible to the point of use (sharps
trays with integral sharps boxes are a useful resourceto support this practice point)
• sharps bins are stored safely away from the public and out of reach of children (in other
words, not stored on the floor or at low levels)
• staff report sharps injuries in line with local reporting procedures/policies
• staff attend training on the safe use of sharps and safety engineered devices
19. Aseptic Techniques
• Asepsis is a process that seeks to prevent or reduce microorganisms
from entering a vulnerable body site such as a wound in surgery, or
during the insertion of invasive devices such as urinary catheters or intra-
vascular devices.Asepsis reduces the risk of an infection developing as a
result of the procedure being undertaken.
• An aseptic technique includes a set of specific actions or procedures
performed under controlled conditions. The ability to control conditions
will vary according to the practice setting, however the following
principals should be applied in all cases:
• ensure the area where the procedure is to take place is as clean as possible
• ensure as little disturbance as possible occurs during the procedure which
could cause air turbulence and the distribution of dust - for example, bed
making, floor sweeping or buffing, estates work
• perform hand hygiene prior to and during the procedure as required,
gloves are not always required and prior to their use a risk assessment
should be conducted to decide if gloves are needed
• use sterile equipment for contact with the vulnerable site.
20. Majorimpact on surgical care
• Aseptic measures ensure wound care through
• Proper wound dressing after cleaning with normal saline or a
disinfectant
• Regular checking of wound and regular change of dressing
21. Safe handling of Blood and body fluids
• Blood and Body Fluid Spillages
• Spillages of blood or body fluids e.g stool,pus,vomit,urine
should be dealt with quickly, by placing warning signs and a
physical barrier. Chemicals should be used to ensure a
spillage is disinfected properly, considering the surface on
which the incident happened.
• While all staff should receive training in how to deal with
spillages, it should be made clear who is primarily responsible
for cleaning blood and body fluid spillages within each area
