MAAM LITA

• Risk factors for work-related infections in clinical laboratory include air-borne transmitted infections, blood-borne diseases, vector-borne infections, nosocomial infections, needle stick injuries, and potential risk from laboratory waste.
• The prescribed safety practices to break the links of the chain of infection include disinfection, hand hygiene, sealed biohazardous waste containers, standard precautions, PPE, patient isolation, and sterile equipment.
• Breaking the links of the chain of infection prevents infection from occurring.
• The six components of the chain of infection are: infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, means of transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host.
• Hazard refers to anything in the environment that has the potential to cause harm, while risk relates to exposure to the danger and is defined as the probability of any injury or loss occurring from the hazard.
• Routes of laboratory exposures or modes of transmission include ingestion, inoculation, contamination, inhalation, and droplets.
• Documenting regular training in safety standards for employees
• Establishing a daily disinfection protocol for work surfaces
• Labeling all biohazardous materials and containers
• Prohibiting eating, drinking & smoking and applying cosmetics in the work area
• Providing medical follow-up for employees who have been accidentally exposed to blood-borne pathogens
• Providing free immunization for HBV (Hepatitis B Virus)
• Providing sharps disposal containers & prohibiting recapping of needles
• The disinfectant of choice for blood-borne pathogens is Sodium Hypochlorite (household bleach diluted 1:10)
• Airborne transmitted infections are caused by bacteria or viruses that are most commonly transmitted through small respiratory droplets and can travel distances greater than 6 feet and remain infectious in the air from minutes to hours.
• Prevention measures for airborne transmitted infections include observing proper handling practices, wearing PPE properly, and minimizing exposure to splashes and aerosols during sample handling and contact with patients with airborne diseases.
• Infection Control Program: Designed to detect and monitor hospital-acquired infections and to prevent or control their spread
• Susceptible Host: Someone who is prone to infection, especially the Elderly, Newborns, Immuno-compromised or unvaccinated, those suffering from acute & chronic diseases & Health-care workers
• Biological Hazards: Standard Precautions to prevent transmission of infectious diseases, including hand hygiene
• Four main functions of an infection-control program: Protecting patients, employees & visitors from infection, screening employees for infectious diseases & requiring immunization when needed, providing evaluation & treatment to health workers who have been exposed to infections while performing their duty, monitoring employees & patients who are at risk of infection & collecting data from patients & health workers who have been exposed to such dangers
• Immunizations, Patient isolation, Nursery precautions, Healthy lifestyle: Ways to break the link of infection
• Standard Precautions: A set of basic infection prevention practices intended to prevent transmission of infectious diseases from one person to another, including hand hygiene, wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), patient care equipment, environmental control, linens, occupational health and blood-borne pathogens, patient placement, and respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette
• Linen: Handle, transport, and process soiled linen in a manner that prevents exposure and contamination.
• Occupational Health and Blood-borne Pathogens: Take precautions to prevent injuries when using sharp instruments or devices, and properly dispose of used needles and sharp items.
• Environmental Control: Ensure routine care, cleaning, and disinfection of environmental surfaces and frequently touched surfaces.
• Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette: Educate and practice measures to contain respiratory secretions and prevent transmission of respiratory pathogens.
• Environmental Cleaning & Waste Disposal: Ensure routine care, cleaning, disinfection of environmental surfaces, and proper waste disposal.
• Specific requirements of OSHA Standards for occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens include practicing universal precautions, providing protective clothing and equipment, and laundry facilities for non-disposable protective clothing.
• Patient Care Equipment: Handle used patient care equipment soiled with blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions in a manner that prevents exposure and contamination.
• Patient Placement: Place a patient in a private room if they contaminate the environment or require special hygiene or environment control.
• Alcohol-based antiseptic cleansers or hand sanitizing is used for hand hygiene.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) includes gloves, gowns, lab coat, mask, face shield goggles, and respirator.
• Hand hygiene should be performed after touching blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, and contaminated items, whether or not gloves are worn.
• Gowns should be worn to protect the skin and prevent soiling of clothing during procedures and patient care activities that may generate splashes or sprays of blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions.
• Hand hygiene should be performed between patient contacts and when otherwise indicated to avoid transferring microorganisms to other patients or environments.
• Steps in handwashing include wetting hands with water, applying soap, and turning off faucets using a clean paper towel to prevent contamination.
• Gloves are worn to prevent contamination of hands and reduce chances of transmission of microorganisms from personnel to patients.
• PPE should be donned in a specific order and doffed carefully to avoid contamination.
• Hand hygiene may be necessary between tasks and procedures on the same patient to prevent cross-contamination of different body sites.
• Mouth, nose, and eye protection, such as masks, eye protection, or face shields, should be worn to protect mucous membranes during procedures and patient care activities that may generate splashes or sprays of blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions.