Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Nosocomial Infections
Nosocomial Infections
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING
● Increasing number of drug resistant
pathogens
● Failure of health care personnel to follow
infection control guidelines
INFECTION CONTROL
Microbiology & Parasitology
BSN 1A | PROF. Raquel Fernandez
INTRODUCTION
● Microorganisms are the agents of
contamination, infection, and decay.
● Hence it becomes necessary to remove
them from materials and areas.
● Early civilization practiced salting, smoking,
pickling and exposure to sunlight.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
● Sterilization
RADIATION
○ The process of freeing an article
from microorganisms including their Two types of radiation are used:
spores. 1. Non-ionizing
● Disinfection 2. Ionizing
○ Reducing the number of pathogenic
microorganisms to the point where NON-IONIZING RADIATION
they no longer cause diseases.
● Bacteriostatic agent: ● Electromagnetic rays with longer
○ An agent that inhibits the growth of wavelength
bacteria, but does not necessarily kill ● Absorbed as heat
them. ● Can be considered as hot air sterilization
○ Bactericide: ● Used in rapid mass sterilization of pre
🠚 An agent that kills bacteria. packaged syringes and catheters (e.g. UV
Most do not kill endospores rays)
○ Sporicide:
🠚 An agent that kills spores. IONIZING RADIATION
● X-rays, gamma rays & cosmic rays.
● High penetrative power
● No appreciable increase in the temperature:
Cold Sterilization
● Sterilize plastic syringes, catheters, grease
fabrics, and metal foils
INFECTION CONTROL
Microbiology & Parasitology
BSN 1A | PROF. Raquel Fernandez
ULTRASONIC AND SONIC VIBRATION ● Chlorine and its compounds have been
used as disinfectants in water supplies &
● Bactericidal swimming pools.
● Microorganisms vary in their sensitivity,
hence no practical value in sterilization and
disinfection. PHENOLS
● Obtained by distillation of coal tar
● Phenols are powerful microbicidal
substances
● Phenolic derivatives have been widely used
as disinfectants for various purposes in
hospitals
● E.g. Lysol, cresol
GASSES
ALDEHYDES
● Formaldehyde & Glutaraldehyde are
frequently used
● Formaldehyde is bactericidal, sporicidal &
has a lethal effect on viruses.
● Glutaraldehyde is effective against tubercle
bacilli, fungi and viruses
HALOGENS
● Iodine in aqueous and alcoholic solution has
been used widely as a skin disinfectant
● Actively bactericidal with moderate against
spores
INFECTION CONTROL
Microbiology & Parasitology
BSN 1A | PROF. Raquel Fernandez
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
HANDWASHING
● Hospitals and its employees must comply
Healthcare Personnel Must: with adequate procedures for the routine
● Wash their hands thoroughly between care, cleaning and disinfection of
patient contacts environmental surfaces, beds, bed rails,
● Wash their hands between tasks and equipment etc.
procedures on the same patient
● Wash their hands after touching blood, body
fluids, secretions, excretions and LINENS
contaminated items even when gloves are ● Must be handled, transported and
worn processed in a manner that prevents
● Wash their hands immediately after gloves contaminating yourself, your clothing, or
are removed prevents transfer of microorganisms to other
patients or other areas
GLOVES
● Must be worn when touching blood, body OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND BLOODBORNE
fluids, secretions, excretions and PATHOGENS
contaminated items ● Never resheathed used needles using both
● Must be worn before touching mucous hands, use one handed scoop technique
membranes or non-intact skin ● Do not remove used needles from
● Must be changed between tasks and disposable syringes
procedures on the same patient ● Do not attempt to bend or break used
● Remove gloves after use and before going needles
to another patients ● Place used disposable syringes in
● Wash hands thoroughly after removing puncture-proof containers
gloves
PATIENT PLACEMENT
MASKS, EYE PROTECTION, FACE SHIELDS AND ● Use private rooms for patients who
GOWNS contaminate the hospital environment
● Wear gowns and masks or eye protection
during procedures that are likely to generate
splashes or sprays of blood
● Approved respirator must be worn when
working with patients in which airborne
precautions are required
INFECTION CONTROL: TRANSMISSION BASED reported in the medical literature as the area
PRECAUTIONS of risk.
● Droplets can become aerosols through
● Work practices that are used when the route evaporation
of transmission of an infectious agent is not ● Examples of infectious agents transmissible
interrupted by using standard precautions by the droplet route include Bordetella
alone pertussis (whooping cough), influenza virus,
● Use transmission-based precautions when adenovirus, rhinovirus, Mycoplasma
caring for patients known or suspected of pneumoniae, coronavirus and Neiserria
being infected with agents transmitted by meningitides
contact, droplet or airborne ● Single patient room with ensuite. Consult
● Visitors must be given information about infection control if none is available.
correct procedures when transmission ● Staff to put on surgical mask when entering
based precautions are in place. the room and remove and dispose of mask
after leaving the room and perform hand
TYPES OF TRANSMISSION BASED hygiene.
PRECAUTIONS ● Instruct patients about respiratory hygiene
and cough etiquette.
1. Airborne
● Limit patient movement outside the room to
2. Droplet
medically-necessary purposes
3. Contact
● Patient to put on a surgical mask when
leaving room
DROPLET PRECAUTIONS
● Occurs when droplets (larger than 5μm in AIRBORNE PRECAUTIONS
diameter) containing microorganisms are
● Fine airborne particles containing infective
propelled a short distance through the air
agents are dispersed over long distances by
and become deposited on another person’s
air currents and can be inhaled by
conjunctiva, nasal mucosa, or mouth
susceptible persons.
● Must be used for patients with pneumonia,
● Patient is placed in a private room with
meningococcal meningitis, strep throat,
negative air pressure and from which air is
whooping cough, influenza
either discharged outdoors or(if recirculated)
● Patient is placed on a private room or
passed through HEPA filters.
placed with the patient with the same case
● Or patient is placed with other patient with
but no other infection
the same case but with no other infection
● Special air handling and ventilation not
● Persons entering the patient’s room must
required
wear respiratory protection unless known to
● Persons working within 3 feet of the patient
be immune to the pathogen (N95 respirator)
must wear a mask
● A surgical mask is placed on the patient
● A surgical mask must be worn by the patient
whenever it is necessary to transport the
during patient’s transport
patient from the room
● Droplets do not readily penetrate the lower
● Single negatively pressurized room with
(alveolar) respiratory system
ensuite
● The maximum distance for cross
● Door to remain closed
transmission from droplets has not been
● Staff to put on N95/P2 mask when entering
definitively determined, although a distance
patient room and remove and dispose of
of approximately 1 meter (3 feet) around the
mask and perform hand hygiene after
infected individual has frequently been
leaving the room.
INFECTION CONTROL
Microbiology & Parasitology
BSN 1A | PROF. Raquel Fernandez
AUTOGENOUS VACCINES
● One that has been prepared from bacteria
isolated from a localized infection, such as
furuncle.
● The pathogens are killed and then injected
into the same person to induce production
of more antibodies.