Useful Terminology

Hospital acquired infection - Also known as nosocomial infection, are infections that are acquired in
a hospital or other health care facility
Vector - an organism, typically biting insect or tick that transmits a disease or parasite from one
animal or plant to another
Sterilisation - the process of making something free from bacteria or other living microorganism

Indirect methods of transmission

• Any form of transmission in which a free floating pathogen or a pathogen present in a vector
come into contact with an indivual.
• This usually happens in two ways
o Mechanical vectors
o Biological vectors

Mechanical vectors
• Most pathogens cannot live outside of a host for very long, however many of these
pathogens can maintain their infectious nature for hours or days on a surface
• These surfaces that re contaminated with a pathogen are called mechanical vectors. These
are non-living objects, that are host to a pathogen
• These objects often end up as vectors due to the interaction of an infected person
• If someone sneezes and doesn't wash their hands before touching a door handle
• Most of these pathogens could potentially infect another person that may come in contact
with that surface
• In most cases the pathogen will still need to come into contact with mucous membranes
Long lasting pathogens
• There are some pathogens that can survive for weeks or even months outside of a hosts
body
• This can be incredibly dangerous if these mechanical vectors can come into contact with
multiple people
Clostridium Difficile
• Also known as C.diff is an infection of the gut that is caused by a pro-longed used of
antibiotics.
• Antibiotics kill of the regular and healthy in the intestines , C.diff is then able to use the free
space to grow
• The main symptom of C.diff is diarrhoea, the infection can spread out of the host body and
onto other surfaces
• The bacteria can remain dormant until they infect a new host for up to 6 months
• One of the leading hospital acquired infections and C.diff is also an opportunistic infection.
This is because the indivual in hospital are routinely exposed to long term antibiotics as well
as weakened immune systems and/or physical injuries
• C.diff can become a deadly infection if it infects someone with an underlying conditions. This
is primarily spread in hospitals through the sharing of bed sheets and razors as well as being
carried by staff unknowingly.
How do we prevent indirect infection?
• Sterilisation is a term referring to any process that eliminates or kills all forms of life,
including transmissible agents present on a surface, contained in a fluid, in medication or in
a compound such as biological culture media
• Sterilisation is an incredibly effective method to decontamination a surface or object
Heat sterilisation
• Majority of organism cannot survive extreme temperature, this is why cooked food is
healthy to eat and raw food can be more dangerous
 • This method is most effective for sterilising lab equipment, or high heat washes for bed
sheets and clothes
Chemical Sterilisation
• The most commonly found and accessible from of sterilisation.
• This form of sterilisation can be used for cleaning work surfaces door handles bed sheets
and other common mechanical vectors withing hospitals.