(PMLS 2) Lesson 2: Infection control, Safety

• Infection: happen when a microorganism invaded the body, multiplies, and causes injury or disease.
• Pathogen: is a disease-causing microbe which could be classified as bacteria, fungi, protozoa or virus
• Two types of Infections: Communicable Infections and Nosocomial and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)
• Communicable Infections: can spread from person to person
• Nosocomial and healthcare associated infections: are usually caused by infected personnel, patients, visitors, food, drug or equipment while a patient is in the hospital or other healthcare facilities.
• Six Components of the Chain of Infetion: Infectious (causative agent), Reservoir, Exit patheay, Means of transmission, Entry pathway and Susceptible host.
• Infectious (causative) agent - Pathogenic microbe such as virus, bacteria, fungus, protozoa and rickketsia
• Reservoir: Source of agent of infection or place where the microve could grow, survive and multiply which could be in humans, animals, food, water, soil or equipment.
• Exit pathway: a way of manner wherein an infectious agent can leave the reservoir host, which could be through secretions and exudates, tissue specimens, blood, feces or urine.
• Means of transmission: Airborne direct (touching, kissing) or indirect contact (coughing or sneezing) , vector (insect, anthropod or animal) and vehicle (food, water or drugs)
• Entry pathway: the way an infectious agent enters a host, which includes body oriffices, mucous membersnes and breaks the skin.
• Suceptible host: someone who is prome to infection, especially the elderly, newbord babies
• Hand hygiene: essential part of standard precautions in the healthcare setting because it is an effective way to prevent infections that can be transmitted from the patient and healthcare personnel during the procedure.
• Personal protective equipment: includes the gloves, gown, lab coats, face shileds, goggles and respirators
• Gloves: worn to prevent contamination of the yands and reduce chances of transmission of microorganisms from personnel to patients.
• Blood borne Pathogens (BBP): are microorganism in the human blood that are infectious and can cause diseases
• Mosst common pathogens: Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis D virus, Hepatitis C (HCV)
• Hepatitis B Virus: Transmitted via needlesticks, sexual contact.
• Helatitis D Virus: Transmitted Via needlestick, sexual contract also but does not have a best defense
• Hepatitis C: infection primarily occurs after large and multiple exposures and also transmitted via needlestick and sexual contact
• Biohazard: refers to any material that could be harmful to one's health
• Biosafety: is used to prevent and protect clinical laboratories from harmful incidents faused by laboratory specimens that are potential biohazards.
• Biohazard exposure route: Airborne, ingestions, non intact skin, percutaneous and permucosal
• Airborne: from splashes and aerosols during centrifuge and aliqout; patients with airborne diseases.
• Electric Shock: Another potential hazard that a health worker faces in the workplace and espcially when dealing with electrical equipment
• Five classes of Fire: A, B, C, D and K
• A: ordinary combustavle materials
• B: fire caused by flmmable liquids and vapors
• C: refers to fire caused by electrical equipment
• D: fire caused by combustible and reactive metals such as sodium, potassium, magneisium and lithium.
• K: refers to fire caused by cooking oul, grease or fats with high temperature
• Radiation: hazard can be encountered by the phlebotomist when collecting specimens from parients who have been injected with radioactive dyes
• Chemicals: used as cleaning reagent, in adding preservatives in urine contrainer or in delivering specimens in laboratory
• Shock: condition when there is not enough blood that circulates back to the heart, which results inadequate supply of pxygen in the body
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): procedure done on a person who is suffering from cardiac arrest.
• Personal Wellness: begins with personal hygiene, which includes bathing regularly, usng deodorants, brushing one's teeth after eatings, and more