Flashcards in Infection - Healthcare Infection Deck (13)
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1
What are healthcare infections?
Infections arising as a consequence of providing healthcare. In hospital patients, it must have been neither present nor incubating at time of admission (at least 48 hours after admission).
2
Give some reasons why healthcare infections are important
- frequent (8% of in-patients)
- impact on health (prolonged length of stay in hospital)
- impact on healthcare organisations (very expensive)
- preventable
3
Give some examples of viruses often caught as a healthcare infection
- blood-borne viruses (hep B, C, HIV)
- norovirus
- influenza
- chickenpox
4
Give some examples of bacteria that can often cause a healthcare infection
- staph aureus
- C difficile
- E coli
- pseudomonas aeruginosa
- mycobacterium tuberculosis
5
Give some examples of fungal healthcare infections
- candida albicans
- aspergillus species
6
Give some examples of parasitic healthcare infections
Malaria (very rare though)
7
Give some patient factors that can make it easier for them to acquire an infection
- very old/young
- obesity/malnourished
- diabetes
- cancer
- immunosuppressed
- smoker
- surgical patient
- emergency admission
8
What are the 'four P's' of infection control?
- patient (their varying factors and interactions)
- pathogen (virulence factors, ecological interactions etc.)
- practice (organisation and leadership, activities of healthcare workers)
- place (environment of patient)
9
Give some examples of general patient interventions to help prevent infection
- optimise patients condition (smoking, nutrition, diabetes)
- antimicrobial prophylaxis
- skin preparation
- hand hygiene
10
Give some examples of specific patient interventions to help prevent infection
- MRSA screens
- mupirocin nasal ointment
- disinfectant body wash
11
How can patient to patient transmission be prevented using physical barriers?
- isolation of infected patients
- protection of susceptible patients
12
Give some examples of healthcare worker interventions to prevent spread of infection
- healthcare workers must be disease free and vaccinated
- good clinical techniques must be used
- hand hygiene
- PPE
- antimicrobial prescribing
13
