INFECTIOUS DESEASES

By: LEA T. JUMAWAN

Infectious diseases are illnesses
caused by harmful agents
(pathogens) that get into your body.
The most common causes are
viruses, bacteria, fungi and
parasites. Infectious diseases usually
spread from person to person,
through contaminated food or water
and through bug bites. Some
infectious diseases are minor and
some are very serious..
 Uncontrollable Risk Factors

•Heredity
• Chromosomal traits and family history
•Aging
• Vulnerability increases with age
•Environmental Conditions
• Unsanitary conditions, drugs, chemicals, and pollutants
•Organism Resistance
• Some pathogens are resistant to our body’s defenses and/or
medical treatments
 Controllable Risk Factors

•Stress
•Nutrition
•Physical fitness level
•Sleep
•Drug use
•Hygiene
•High-risk behaviors
 Routes of Pathogen Transmission

•Direct Contact
• Touching, kissing, sexual relations
•Indirect Contact
• Touching an object that an infected person has had contact with
•Airborne Contact
• Breathing in air that carries
a pathogen
•Food-borne infection
• Eating something that is
contaminated by microorganisms
•
Animal-borne pathogens
• Animals can spread diseases through bites, feces, or
by carrying infected insects into living areas
•Water-borne diseases
• Transmitted from drinking water, from foods washed
or sprayed with contaminated water, or from wading
or swimming in contaminated streams, lakes or
reservoirs
•Perinatally
• Mothers can transmit diseases to an infant in the
womb or as the baby passes through the vagina
during birth
Common signs and symptoms:
 • INFECTIOUS DISEASES DIAGNOSIS

•Swabbing your nose or throat.

•Getting blood, pee (urine), poop (stool) or spit (saliva) samples.

•Taking a biopsy or scraping a small sample of skin or other tissue.

•Getting imaging (X-rays, CT scans or MRIs) of affected parts of your body.

Some test results, like from a nose swab, come back quickly, but other
results might take longer. For instance, sometimes bacteria has to be
grown in a lab (cultured) from a sample before you can get your test
result.
 TREATMENT
Treatment depends on what causes the infection.
Sometimes your healthcare provider will recommend
monitoring your symptoms rather than taking
medication.

Treatment depends on •Bacterial

what causesinfections can be
the infection. treated with antibiotics.
Sometimes your
Therecommend
healthcare provider will right antibiotic depends
monitoring your on what bacteria
symptoms rather causes
than taking medication.the infection.
•Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. The right antibiotic
depends on what bacteria causesinfections
• Fungal the infection.
can be treated with antifungal
•You can manage most viral infections with over-the-counter medications
medications. You can take them orally, like 
for your symptoms until you feel better. If you have the flu, your
fluconazole (Diflucan®) or put them on your skin
healthcare provider may prescribe oseltamivir phosphate (Tamiflu®) in
some cases. Certain viral just wherehave
infections the special
fungusmedications
is, like clotrimazole
to treat
 (Lotrimin®).
them, like antiretroviral therapy for HIV.
•Fungal infections can be treated with antifungal medications. You can
• Parasites can be treated
take them orally, like fluconazole (Diflucan®) with antiparasitic
or put them on your skin drugs,
such as mebendazole (Emverm®).
just where the fungus is, like clotrimazole (Lotrimin®).
•Parasites can be treated with antiparasitic drugs, such as mebendazole
 (Emverm®). • There are no treatments for prion diseases.
 NURSING INTERVENTION
• Wash hands or perform hand hygiene before having contact with the patient. Also, impart these
duties to the patient and their significant others and know the instances when to perform hand
hygiene or “5 moments for hand hygiene”:

1. Before touching a patient.

2. Before clean or aseptic procedure (wound dressing, starting an IV, etc.).
3. After body fluid exposure risk
4. After touching a patient
5. After touching the patient’s surroundings.

• Educate clients and SO (significant other) about appropriate cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing
items.

• Encourage intake of protein-rich and calorie-rich foods and encourage a balanced diet.

• Perform measures to break the chain of infection and prevent infection.

• Recommend the use of soft-bristled toothbrushes and stool softeners to protect mucous membranes.

• Instruct client not to share personal care items (e.g., toothbrush, towels, etc.).

• Promote nail care by keeping the client and the nurse‘s fingernails short and clean.

• Encourage sleep and rest.

• Provide surgical masks to visitors who are coughing and provide the rationale to enforce usage. Instruct
visitors to cover mouth and nose (by using the elbows to cover) during coughing or sneezing; use tissues
to contain respiratory secretions with immediate disposal to a no-touch receptacle; perform hand hygiene
afterward.

• Place the patient in protective isolation if the patient is at high risk of infection.

• Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) properly.

• If infection occurs, teach the patient to take anti-infectives as prescribed. If taking antibiotics, instruct the
patient to take the full course of antibiotics even if symptoms improve or disappear.
 Prevention

•Wash your hands. This is especially important before and after preparing

food, before eating, and after using the toilet. And try not to touch your eyes,
nose or mouth with your hands, as that's a common way germs enter the
body.

•Get vaccinated. Vaccination can drastically reduce your chances of

contracting many diseases. Make sure to keep up to date on your
recommended vaccinations, as well as your children's.
•Stay home when ill. Don't go to work if you are vomiting, have diarrhea or have a fever.
Don't send your child to school if he or she has these signs, either.

Prepare food safely. Keep counters and other kitchen surfaces clean when preparing
meals. Cook foods to the proper temperature, using a food thermometer to check for
doneness.

Practice safe sex. Always use condoms if you or your partner has a history of sexually transmitted
infections or high-risk behavior.

Don't share personal items. Use your own toothbrush, comb and razor. Avoid sharing drinking
glasses or dining utensils.

Travel wisely. If you're traveling out of the country, talk to your doctor about any special vaccinations
— such as yellow fever, cholera, hepatitis A or B, or typhoid fever — you may need.