Infection Control

Chapter 10

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Contents

1. Definitions and Terminology

2. Chain of Infection
3. Defense Mechanisms
4. Methods of infection control
5. Infectious diseases: Examples
6. Reporting Exposure

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Terminology

• Microorganisms: are very small, usually one-celled, living plants or animals,

exist everywhere in the environment but can not seen by the naked eye.

• Infection: is the establishment and growth of microorganism on or in a host. It

is an invasion and growth of microorganism in body tissue that cause harm to

the cell tissue.

• Contagious or communicable disease: is a disease that may be transmitted
either directly or indirectly from one individual to another.

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Microorganisms

• Are either aerobic (require oxygen to live) or anaerobic (do not

require oxygen to live).
• Prefer a warm, moist, dark environment that provides a source
of food and human body is the ideal environment
• Some microorganisms grow on nonliving material and others
living organisms (hosts).

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Normal flora

• Microorganisms that don’t cause disease

• commonly reside in a particular environment on or in the body (skin,
vagina, and intestines).
• used in food & drug processing, destroy waste & contribute to our
environmental comfort.
• eg: E.coli is normal flora of GIT, it can become pathogenic if it enter
bladder.

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Chain of Infection

• It consists of six elements

that must be present for an

infection to develop
Chain of Infection
1. Infectious agent

A pathogen must be present:

• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Fungi
• Rickettsia
• Protozoa
Chain of Infection
2. Reservoir host

• The pathogen must have a place to live and grow.

• Examples of reservoir hosts are: human body

contaminated water or food, animals, insects, birds, and
dead or decaying organic material.

• Carrier: is humans or animals capable of transmitting the

pathogen but have no signs of the disease.
Chain of Infection
3. Portal of exit

• The pathogen must be able to escape from the

reservoir host.
• Examples of portals of exit are blood, urine, feces,
breaks in the skin, wound drainage, and body
secretions such as saliva, mucus, and reproductive
fluids.
Chain of Infection
4. Route of transmission

• When the pathogen leaves the reservoir host

through the portal of exit, it must have a way of
being transmitted to a new host.
• Examples are air, food, insects, and direct contact
with an infected person.
Chain of Infection
5. Portal of Entry

• The pathogen must have a way of entering the

new host.
• Common ports of entry are the mouth, nostrils,
and breaks in the skin.
Chain of Infection
6. Susceptible host

• An individual who has a large number of

pathogens invading the body or does not have
adequate resistance to the invading pathogen will
get the infectious disease.
 Signs and Symptoms of Infections

• Generalized or systemic
– Affecting whole body
• Generalized or systemic infection may cause fever, headaches,
fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and increased pulse and respirations
• Localized
– Affecting one area of body
• Red, swollen, and warm to touch area
• Drainage
• Pain
Defense Mechanisms

Defense mechanisms are present to resist infections, include

1. Natural defense
2. Acquired immunity
– Active immunity
– Passive Immunity
Natural defense
• Cilia: respiratory tract that catch and move pathogens out of the body

• Coughing and sneezing: to propel pathogens outward

• Tears: contain chemicals to kill bacteria

• Hydrochloric acid in the stomach: destroys pathogens

• Mucous membranes of the respiratory, reproductive, and digestive systems, which serve
to trap pathogens
• Fever: kill microorganisms

• Increase of leukocytes (white blood cells) to destroying pathogens

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 Individual injected with
antibodies
Individual develops antibodies
Antibodies become weaker
It is long term over time.
it is short term
Breaking the Chain of Infection

• Breaking at least one link stops the infectious disease.

• The practices and techniques that health care professionals use daily are
designed to break the chain.

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Breaking the Chain of Infection

How can I decrease the source of microorganisms?

• Perform proper handwashing.
• Decontaminate surfaces and equipment using
antiseptics, disinfectants, sterilization.
• Avoid contact with patients
Breaking the Chain of Infection

How can I prevent the transmission of microorganisms?

• Wear personal protective equipment (PPE)
when indicated.
PPE includes caps, gloves, gowns, masks, booties, and eye
protection.
• Follow isolation procedures when indicated.
Breaking the Chain of Infection

How can I maximize the resistance of the host?

• Provide good hygiene
• Ensure proper nutrition and fluid intake
• Decrease stressors that weaken the immune response
Methods of infection control

1. Medical Asepsis
2. Sterilization (Surgical Asepsis)
3. Standard Precautions
4. Isolation Precautions (Transmission-Based
Precautions)

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 1. Medical asepsis

• The most effective way to help prevent the spread of

microorganisms is good handwashing technique
• Is a reduction in number of infectious agent.
• Simple cleanliness (basically maintaining a dry, clean environment
by dusting and washing floors)

• Disposal of gloves

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2. Surgical Asepsis (Sterilization):

• Procedures that eliminate the presence of pathogens from objects and

areas.
• Is a complete removal of all microorganism from equipment and
environment.
• Is a procedure used to prevent contamination before , during and after
surgery using sterile technique.
• Sterile field is an area that has been designated as free of
microorganisms
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3. Standard Precautions
Standard precautions must be followed to
prevent contact with potentially infectious
body fluids.
including:
• Blood
• All body fluids, secretions, and excretions
except sweat
• Non-intact skin
• Mucous membranes
• Any unidentified body fluids

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3. Standard Precautions
Safety measure that must be taken include
the following:
1. Hand washing
2. Gloving
3. Personal protective equipment (gloves,
gowns, facemask, goggles, bags)
4. Avoid needle recapping if necessary
use one handed scope technique
5. Bio-spills- to clean the bios-pills gloves
must be worn
Apply Standard Precautions for all pt regardless
the diagnosis and infection stat

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4. Isolation Precautions (Transmission-Based Precautions)

Is a system use to reduce the risk of airborne, droplet and contact transmission.
Isolation techniques are used in conjunction with Standard Precautions.
2 main categories:
(i) Reducing transfer of disease from patient to worker

(ii) reducing transfer of disease worker to patient

1. Airborne Precautions

2. Droplet Precautions

2. 3. Contact Precautions
1. Airborne Precautions

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2. Droplet Precautions

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3. Contact Precautions

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Some infectious diseases

1. Hepatitis
2. AIDS- HIV
3. TB
Hepatitis B virus infection

• Major infectious blood-borne occupational hazard for health care

professionals.

• HBV can be spread via several routes:

• Parenteral: Blood transfusion, needle sharing by intravenous

(IV) drug users, needle stick, or other sharp instrument

• Mucous membranes: Blood contamination of the eye or mouth

• Sexual contact

• Perinatal: From infected mother to newborn infant

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Other Hepatitis infection
Hepatitis A: transmitted through food and water contaminated with feces.
Hepatitis C: is primarily spread by:
–contact with blood or blood products.

–Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common

–There is no vaccine for HCV.

Hepatitis D: appears only as co-infection to hepatitis B.

–Hepatitis B vaccines provide protection from HDV infection.
Hepatitis E: transmitted through food and water contaminated with feces.
• Safe and effective vaccines to prevent HEV infection have been developed but are not widely available.

Both hepatitis B and C have the potential to develop into chronic infections and cirrhosis.
• Hepatitis B ,C, and D are blood borne

• Hepatitis A and E are transmitted through contaminated food and water

HIV

• HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is virus causes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
• HIV positive: Individuals infected with the virus, is not having AIDS
• AIDS: means the immune system become weakened as a result of the virus.
• The routes of transfer is due to:
– Contaminated blood or needles.
– Fluids containing blood.
– Sexual transmission
– From mother to fetus via the placenta.
– It can be also transmitted through breast milk.

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Tuberculosis- TB

• Is a chronic disease
• caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium
• It affects the lungs, but can possibly infect any part of the body.( Spine and bone)
• TB is an airborne disease, spread through the air from one person to another.
• ISpread through coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings.
• t is a communicable disease .
 Nosocomial Infections
• Nosocomium : Latin word means hospital
• It is an infection caught in a hospital is called nosocomial
• Sources of nosocomial infection:
1. Medical personnel:
by direct skin contact – ingestion – inhalation) eg. food handler and cooker,
surgeons
2. Patient flora:
in case of healthy person the relationship between them is neutral or beneficial
but when the person is compromized it become harmful.
3. Contaminated hospital environment

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Other infectious diseases

• Mad cow disease

• West Nile virus
• Ebola virus
• Bird flu
– H5N1 avian influenza
• Swine flu
– H1N1 influenza
• COVID-19
Reporting Exposure

• Must immediately report any exposure to blood or body fluids

• Write incident or injury report
• Refer to exposure control plan
Handwashing for Patient Care
Questions
Thank You And Wish You All The Best

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