Infection Control

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• DISINFECTION
INFECTION CONTROL (08/22/2023) o Destruction of pathogenic and other kinds of
microorganisms by physical or chemical means.
DEFINITION OF TERMS Pathogenic - microorganisms that causes infection.
o Disinfection is less lethal than sterilization, because
• INFECTION CONTROL
it destroys the majority of recognized pathogenic
o Also called "exposure control plan" by OSHA microorganisms, but not necessarily all microbial
o Is a required office program that is designed to forms (e.g., bacterial spores).
protect personnel against risks of exposure to o Disinfection is a process of removing or killing most,
infection. but not all, viable organisms.

• STERILIZATION
o Use of a physical or chemical procedure to destroy
all microorganisms including substantial numbers of
resistant bacterial spores.
o Sterilization means the destruction of all life forms
(Ronald B. Luftig)
o Sterilization is the process of killing or removing all
viable organisms. (MIMS PLAYFAIR)
▪ Boiling
▪ Autoclaving - most effective
• DISINFECTANT
o A chemical agent used on inanimate objects to
destroy virtually all recognized pathogenic
microorganisms, but not necessarily all microbial
forms (e.g., bacterial endospores)
▪ Alcohol (70%) - more volatile (process of
evaporation) if there is higher alcohol
content.

• ANTISEPTIC
o A substance that inhibits the growth or action of
• STERILE microorganisms especially in or on living tissue.
o Free from all living microorganisms; usually o Used in animate objects.
described as a probability (e.g., the probability of a ▪ Betadine gargle, gluconate.
surviving microorganism being 1 in 1 million). ▪ Used extraorally and intraorally.

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• ASEPSIS OTHER TYPES OF INFECTION

o Without contamination.
o Prevention of microbial contamination of living
tissues or sterile materials by excluding, removing or
killing microorganism.
▪ Sterilization through autoclaving.
• CROSS INFECTION
o May happen when a patient already suffering from a
disease acquires a new infection from another
patient or another source.

• INFECTION • NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION

o The invasion and colonization of plant or animal o An infection acquired in the hospital.
tissues by a microorganism. ▪ Pneumonia, sepsis, etc.
▪ Host, environment and agent.

• IATROGENIC INFECTION
TYPES OF INFECTION o An infection due to drug therapy or investigative
procedures used by the physician.
• PRIMARY INFECTION
o When a microbe initially contacted a host.
o Contaminated materials and environment.
o Easier to manage than secondary infection. • SUBCLINICAL INFECTION
o Infection where clinical symptoms are not apparent.
▪ COVID 19

• SECONDARY INFECTION
o Is possible when a new microbe enters the host
whereby the host's resistance is lowered due to a
pre-existing infectious disease.
• LATENT INFECTION
o Some infection remain hidden in the body without
causing illness but proliferates and produce disease
when the host’s resistance is lowered.

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• ATYPICAL INFECTION
o Where the characteristic clinical manifestations of
the particular diseases is absent.
▪ COVID-19, Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS
SOURCES OF INFECTION
• ENDOGENOUS INFECTIONS
o Are opportunistic infections caused by normally
present bacterial flora of the human body, that is,
microorganisms which are not pathogenic under
normal conditions.
o This process of infection is also called autoinfection.
Here, the source of infection is the host’s own body.
• EXOGENOUS INFECTION
o An infection from outside the host’s body.
o The source of infection of this infection may come
from living or non-living reservoirs.
• LIVING RESERVOIRS
o May include humans and animals, the former being
the most common.
• NON-LIVING RESERVOIRS
• Include the soil where parasitic worm infections causes
diseases in human.
• CARRIER
o A person who harbors the pathogenic
microorganism without exhibiting the signs and
symptoms of the disease.
o Examples of diseases spread by carriers include
typhoid, hepatitis, AIDS, etc.
THEORIES AND CONCEPTS OF THE INFECTIOUS DISEASE
PROCESS
• GERM THEORY
o Currently the most accepted scientific theory for
many diseases.
o States that microorganisms know as pathogens or
“germs” can lead to disease.
o These small organisms invade the human body or
other hosts that causes infection and disease.
• EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRIAD OF DISEASE
o A concept where 3 factors affect the formation of
disease or presence of an infection.
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THEORIES AND CONCEPTS OF THE INFECTIOUS • HIS THEORY

o Germ = Germination
DISEASE PROCESS (08/29/2023) o A growing, living organism caused the problem
o His solution to the problem was to boil the liquid to
• GERM THEORY OF DISEASE
kill the germs
o Currently the most accepted scientific theory for
• PASTEURISATION
many diseases.
o It states that microorganisms known as pathogens o Applied to milk, beer, wine, vinegar
or "germs" can lead to disease.
o This small organisms invade the human body or
other hosts that causes infection and disease.
EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRIAD OF DISEASE
• Is a concept where 3 factors affect the formation of disease
or presence of an infection.
• 1876
o Robert Koch proved that a bacterium causes
anthrax and provided the experimental steps, Koch's
postulates, to prove that a specific microbe causes a FIGURE 1: THE EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRIAD OF DISEASE
specific disease

• PASTEUR’S GERM THEORY

o Pasteur - a Scientist (not a doctor)

• BREWERY IN FRANCE
• Asked Pasteur to investigate why some vats of alcohol
would go bad

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o Temperature, humidity, altitude, crowding. housing.

THREE FACTORS AFFECTING THE POSSIBLE FORMATION
neighborhood, water, milk, food, radiation, pollution,
OF DISEASE noise.

• AGENT
o Is the primary causative factor in the emergence of
infection. “No can pathogens can harm you if you have an intact
o Causative factors(pathogens), risk factors, and immune system.”
environment exposure
o Biologic (bacteria, viruses); chemical (poison,
alcohol, smoke); physical (trauma, radiation, fire);
FIGURE 2: THE ICEBERG CONCEPT OF INFECTIOUS
nutritional (lack, excess)
DISEASE

• Infections without clinical manifestations are equally

• HOST important as those with apparent signs and symptoms.
o Is the reservoir for pathogenic microorganisms and • This can be explained by the ICEBERG CONCEPT of
is the one affected by the causative agent. Infectious Disease where just as the tip o& the iceberg is
o Risk factors for invasion and possibility of infection is visible, so is with disease.
increased when the host's resistance is lowered.
o Age, sex, race, genetic profile, previous diseases,
immune status, religion, customs, occupation,
marital status, and family background.

ENVIRONMENT
o Is another factor which increases the possibility of
disease emergence by affecting the survivability of
the pathogenic organism or causative agent.
o Without one of these factors, it is believe that
disease cannot be present.

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MODES OF TRANSMISSION

SIX LINKS IN CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION OF INFECTION

• Pathogen
o Bacteria
o Virus
o Fungi
o Parasite
• Reservoir
o People
o Animal
o Soil
o Food
o Water
• Portal of exit
o Coughing
o Sneezing
o Bodily secretions
o Feces
• Mode of transmission
o Direct contact
o Indirect contact
o Vectors
• Portal of entry
o Mouth
o Nose
o Eyes
o Cuts in skin

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• Susceptible host
o Elderly
o Infants
o Immunocompromised
o Anyone

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