Nosocomial Infections

Front 1

Most common infections?

Back 1

 urinary tract
 respiratory
 wound
 skin
 soft tissue
 septicaemia

Front 2

preventable and non preventable nosocomials

Back 2

Preventable = medical or nursing or surgical mishaps
 bad hand washing, leaving stuff inside patient, coughing all over…
 Non-preventable = stuff you can’t control
 immunodeficient patient, surgeries where organs are seriously
damaged, gunshot / stabbing to GI-tract

Front 3

Sources for hospital-acquired infections include

Back 3

environment
 person-2-person (endogenous versus exogenous?)
 food supply
 air supply
 fomites
 vector
 water supply

Front 4

what type of medical activities can cause nosocomial infections?

Back 4

intravenous access
 urinary catheters
 surgeries

Front 5

Three factors play a role in the transmission of a nosocomial infection

Back 5

Source
 location where microorganisms replicate and disseminate
 Route of infection
 way by which microorganisms leave source to get to host (us)
 Host
 how susceptible are you? Age? Immune status? Etc…

Front 6

Hospital infection control plans are in place to

Back 6

render source non-infectious
 prevent microorganisms from leaving source
 interfere with dissemination routes
 prevent microorganisms from entering host

Front 7

The most efficient step is the

Back 7

identification and detection of the source
of infection

Front 8

hospital activity controls include

Back 8

good clinical practices (separation of infected/non-infected patients)
 wound and enteric isolation (toilet facilities, basins)
 respiratory isolation (facemasks, SARS)
 strict isolation (enclosed isolation units, air systems)
 protective isolation (patients highly susceptible to infection)
 typing (serology, phage, molecular)

Front 9

universal precautions

Back 9

Every patient is treated as if they are infected and therefore precautions
are taken to minimize risk
 Universal precautions are good hygiene habits, such as hand washing
and the use of gloves and other barriers, correct sharps handling, and
aseptic techniques.

Front 10

additional precautions

Back 10

 Prion diseases (e.g., Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease)
 Diseases with air-borne transmission (e.g., tuberculosis)
 Diseases with droplet transmission (e.g., mumps, rubella, influenza,
pertussis)
 Transmission by direct or indirect contact with dried skin (e.g.,
colonisation with MRSA) or contaminated surfaces

Front 11

infection control in communities include

Back 11

Social and environmental factors
 Health education
 Food safety
 Vector control
 Immunization (immunoglobulins, vaccination)
 Chemoprophylaxis (e.g., rifampicin/ciprofloxacin for meningococcal
contacts)
 Outbreak investigations
 National and international agencies

Front 12

Physical (three approaches currently used): to sterilization

Back 12

heat
 dry (150-200ºC)
 moist (pasteurization, boiling, autoclaving, microwaves)
 incineration (1000ºC!)
 radiation
 gamma
 ultraviolet
filtration

Front 13

In order for a disinfectant to be effective, the following must be thought
about…

Back 13

concentration of germicide?
 what is the target?
 what is the contact time?
 what is the temperature that I should use product at?
 load? Organic? Inorganic?
 miscellaneous factors…

Front 14

the resistance against a disinfectant is not necessarily
related to how dangerous a microorganism is. strongest to weakeast in order

Back 14

Spores/cysts
Mycobacteria
Fungi
Vegetative bacteria
Enveloped viruses

Front 15

Antiseptics

Back 15

used to inactivate and remove flora (transient, resident) from hands
prior to surgical procedures
 used to inactivate transient and resident flora from site of operation
 used for treatment and/or prevention of infection on skin surfaces or
mucous membranes

Front 16

Hand rubs

Back 16

removes transient flora only
 usually contains 60-70% ethanol…plus emollient(s)