INFECTION CONTROL, SAFETY, FIRST AID, AND PERSONAL WELLNESS

• Infection control


  Avoid the spread of microorganisms into air/personnel/patients
• Infection control program main functions

  • Protect patients, employees and visitors from infection
  • Screen employees for infectious diseases and to require immunization when needed
  • Provide evaluation and treatment to health workers who have been exposed to infections
  • Monitor employees and patients who are at risk of infection
• Sepsis


  Presence of pathogens
• Asepsis


  Absence of pathogens
• Aseptic technique


  Various techniques used to eliminate and exclude pathogens. It includes handwashing, the use of PPE, and the use of disinfectants and antiseptics (antiseptic technique.)
• Aseptic techniques


  • Hand Hygiene
  • Routine Hand Washing
  • Hand Antisepsis
• Routine hand washing


  Uses plain soap and water, when hands are visibly dirty, before eating, after using the bathroom, upon exposure to Clostridium difficile, Bacillus anthracis and infectious diarrhea during non-virus outbreak
• Hand antisepsis


  Antimicrobial soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, alcohol-based hand sanitizer is preferred when hands are not visibly dirty
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)


  Specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against infectious materials
• Donning (wearing) PPE


  1. Gown

  2. Mask (make sure it covers nose and mouth)

  3. Gloves
• Doffing (removal) PPE


  1. Gloves

  2. Gown

  3. Mask (touch only strings)
• Wash hands after removing PPE
• Lab coats worn as PPE must NOT be worn on break, in the cafeteria or other non patient areas, or outside the hospital
• Waste management


  • All waste generated should be treated as clinical waste
  • Biohazard labeling
  • Wear appropriate PPE when handling clinical waste
• Color coding for waste disposal

  • Orange - radioactive wastes
  • Green - biodegradable wastes
  • Black - non-biodegradable wastes
  • Yellow - infectious wastes
  • Yellow with red container - (Puncture-proof containers) with Biohazard label
• Antimicrobial agent


  Any agent whether physical or chemical that is used to inhibit microbial life
• Antibiotic


  Antimicrobial agent, prepared from another microorganism
• Antibiotics


  • Penicillin – Penicillium notatum
  • Cephalosporin – Cephalosporium acremonium
  • Cyclosporin – Tolypocladium inflatum
  • Fumagillin – Aspergillus fumigatus
  • Chaetomin – Chaetomium cochliodes
• Thermal death time (TDT)


  Shortest time wherein all bacteria in a suspension is killed
• Thermal death point (TDP)

  Lowest temperature wherein all microorganisms are killed within 10 minutes in a standardized suspension
• Decimal reduction time (D value)

  Time in minutes that an antimicrobial agent is able to kill 90% of microorganisms in a standard bacterial suspension; reduction of bacterial population to 10%
• Sterilization


  Destroying all forms of microbial life
• Disinfection


  Destroying pathogens or unwanted organisms
• Sanitization


  Reduction of microbial populations to levels considered safe by public health standards such as those applied in restaurants
• Disinfectant


  Antimicrobial agent used on inanimate (non-living) objects
• Antiseptic


  Antimicrobial agent used on living tissue
• Cidal vs static


  • Bactericidal - kills bacteria
  • Bacteriostatic - inhibits bacterial growth
  • Fungicidal - kills fungi
  • Fungistatic - inhibits fungi
  • Algacidal - kills algae
  • Algastatic - inhibits algae
  • Sporicide - kills spores
  • Virucide - kills viruses
• Methods to control microbial growth

  • Physical
  • Chemical
• Physical methods


  • Dry heat
  • Moist heat
  • Salinity
  • Freeze
  • Ionizing radiation
  • Non-ionizing radiation
• Dry heat


  Microbial oven (160-165°C for 2 hours, 170-180°C for 1 hour), Incineration (>300°C), Cremation (reduces substances to ash)
• Moist heat


  Autoclaving (kills both vegetative forms and spores, 121°C at 15 psi for 15-20 mins), Boiling (kills vegetative cells only, 100°C for 30 mins), Pasteurization (disinfection procedure, kills vegetative cells only)
• Salinity


  Disruption of the plasma membrane, used for preservation of foods (salting)
• Freeze


  Drying (Lyophilization), for drugs, vaccines
• Ionizing radiation


  Gamma rays & x-rays, used on substances that could be damaged by heat
• Non-ionizing radiation


  Uses UV light, disrupts DNA, for sterilization of surfaces, used to reduce microbial populations
• Chemical disinfectants


  • Benzoic acid
  • Hydrochloric acid
  • 37% Formaldehyde
  • Boric Acid
  • 1% Silver Nitrate (Crede's prophylaxis)
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Tincture of Iodine
  • Alcohol (70%)
  • Merthiolate
• Qualities of a good disinfectant

  • Wide or broad antimicrobial spectrum
  • Fast-acting
  • Leaves a residual antimicrobial film on the treated surface
  • Non-toxic to human tissues
  • Soluble in water and easy to apply
  • Inexpensive and easy to prepare
  • Stable both in concentrated and diluted forms
  • Odorless
• Factors that affect antimicrobial activity

  • Temperature
  • Contact time
  • Concentration of antimicrobial agent
  • Type of microbe
  • The bio-burden of microbes
• Wellness


  The quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as a result of deliberate effort
• Personal wellness


  Requires a holistic approach, meeting the different components of wellness: physical, environmental, emotional, career/livelihood, social, intellectual, spiritual, financial