Lesson 2: INFECTION CONT. SAFETY FIRST AID PERSONAL WELLNESS

• Considered one of the most commonly performed procedures in the field of medicine

  Phlebotomy
• There are still risks involved in phlebotomy that can be hazardous to both patient and healthcare personel.
• When not done properly, this phlebotomy procedure could result in injury of the patient, errors in laboratory findings and exposure to infection and other safety hazards.
• Could be reduced if best practices in prevention and control are followed

  Risk
• Happens when a microorganism invades the body, multiplies, and causes injury or disease.

  Infection
• Is a disease-causing microbe which could be classified as bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or virus.

  Pathogen
• There are two types of infections: communicable infections and nosocomial and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)
• Can spread from person to person

  Communicable infections
• Are usually caused by infected personnel, patients, visitors, food, drug, or equipment while a patient is in the hospital or other healthcare facilities.

  Nosocomial and HAIs
• For the infection to escalate to an epidemic, all components or links should be favorable to the pathogenic microbe.
• Component of infection:

  1. Infectious (causative) agent
  2. Reservoir
  3. Exit pathway
  4. Means of transmission
  5. Entry pathway
  6. Susceptible host
• Pathogenic microbe such as virus, bacteria, fungus, protozoa, and rickettsia

  Infectious (causative) agent
• Source of the agent of infection or place where the microbe could grow, survive, and multiply, which could be in humans, animals, food, water, soil, or equipment

  Reservoir
• A way or manner wherein an infectious agent can leave the reservoir host, which could be through secretions and exudates, tissue specimens, blood, feces, or urine

  Exit pathway
• Airborne, direct or indirect contact, droplets, vector, and vehicle

  Means of transmission
• Touching or kissing

  Direct contact
• Coughing or sneezing

  Droplets
• Insect, anthropod, or animal

  Vector
• Food, water, or drugs

  Vehicle
• The way an infectious agent enters a host, which includes body orifices, mucous membranes, and breaks in the skin

  Entry pathway
• Someone who is prone to infection, especially the elderly, newborn babies, patients who are immune-suppressed or unvaccinated, and those suffering from acute or chronic illness

  Susceptible host
• A healthcare institution should have a set of procedures to break the chain of infection.
• These measure include effective hand hygiene procedure, good nutrition, immunization against common pathogens, insect and pest control, isolation and decontamination procedures, use of proper safety devices, wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) when needed, and proper disposal of sharp objects and other waste materials.
• An infection-control program has four main functions:

  1. to protect patients, employees, and visitors from infection
  2. to screen employees for infectious disease and to require immunization when needed
  3. to provide evaluation and treatment to health workers who have been exposed to infections while performing their duty
  4. to monitor employees and patients who are at risk of infection and to collect data from patients and health workers who have been exposed to such danger
• Infection-control methods or procedures must be followed at all times. These include ensuring that proper hand hygiene is practiced consistently using alcohol-based antiseptic hand cleaners, and that the PPE is clean and properly donned and removed.
• Is an 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.

  Hand hygiene
• Two methods for hand hygiene

  routine hand washing and hand antiseptics
• Routine hand washing

  • uses plain soap and water
  • when hands are visibly dirty
  • after known exposure to Clostridium difficile, Bacillus anthracis, and infectious diarrhea during norovirus outbreaks
  • before eating
  • after using the restroom
• Hand antisepsis

  • an antimicrobial soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer to remove transient microorganisms
  • alcohol-based hand sanitizer is preferred when hands are not visibly dirty
  • put the sanitizer on hands, rub the hands together for about 20 seconds or until it feels dry
• Steps in Performing the Routine Hand-washing Technique (1)

  1. Stand a few inches from the sink to avoid contamination
  2. Turn on the faucet and place hands under the running water
  3. Use soap and work up lather to ensure that hand surfaces are reached
  4. Scrub for at least 15 seconds. Make sure to scrub all surfaces especially between the fingers and the knuckles
• Steps in Performing the Routine Hand-washing Technique (2)

  5. Apply a little friction and rub hands together for at least 15 seconds

  6. Rinse the hands from the wrist to fingertips using a downward motion

  7. Dry hands using a clean paper towel

  8. Use the paper towel to close the faucet, except when the latter is foot or motion-activated.
• Includes the gloves, gowns, lab coats, masks, face shields, goggles, and respirators

  Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Phlebotomists should always wear this during blood collection and when handling specimen.

  Gloves
• Are worn to prevent contamination of the hands and reduce chances of transmission of microorganisms from personnel to patients. They should be worn over the cuffs of the lab gown to ensure protection.

  Gloves
• Proper Removal of Gloves

  1. The wrist part of one glove is grasped by the opposite hand
  2. The glove is pulled inside out and off the hand
  3. The recently removed glove must be placed in the gloved hand. The fingers of the non-gloved hand are slipped under the wrist of the remaining glove but make sure not to touch the exterior surface
  4. The second glove is pulled inside out
  5. The gloves must be dropped in the proper receptacle
• This is kept clean and is worn to protect the healthcare worker from splashes of blood and specimen during the patient-care activities

  PPE
• It includes the laboratory gown or coat, face mask, and gloves. These items are removed at the anteroom or before leaving the room of the patient in an aseptic, sterile, and pathogen-free way to avoid contamination.

  PPE
• Donning of PPE

  1. Gown should be put on first. Make sure that it is fastened, and the belt is tied.
  2. Mask should cover both the nose and mouth
  3. Gloves should be pulled over the gown cuff.
• Doffing of PPE

  1. Gloves are removed first. The contaminated areas should not be touched with ungloved hands.
  2. Gown should be pulled from the shoulders towards the hand so it is turned inside out.
  3. Mask should be removed by only touching the string.
• When the colored portion of the mask is exposed, you are protecting yourself from infection