Infection prevention and control

Question 1

Define colonisation

Answer 1

Presence and multiplication without tissue invasion or damage

Question 2

Define infection

Answer 2

Entry and multiplication in tissues causing damage

Question 3

Define carrier

Answer 3

Person who harbours microbes with no signs of disease

Question 4

Define infection reservoir

Answer 4

place where microbes are persisting, live and reproduce, and from there can be picked up and passed on to people

Question 5

Different modes of transmission

Answer 5

Question 6

Examples of airborne infections

Answer 6

• Legionnaire’s disease
• TB
• Respiratory viruses

Question 7

Examples of infections that spread by contact

Answer 7

• Staphylococcus aureus from hands
• Salmonella from food

Question 8

Examples of infections that are inocculated

Answer 8

• HIV or viral hepatitis from a needlestick injury
• Malaria from a mosquito bite
• Tetanus from a contaminated traumatic wound

Question 9

Define endogenous infection

Answer 9

self infection with own organisms

• Surgical wound infections, pneumonia, UTI

Question 10

Examples of natural barriers

Answer 10

• Skin (wounds)
• Stomach acid (PPIs)
• Mucus/cilia (CF)
• Urinary flow (catheters)

Question 11

Examples of immunocompromised groups

Answer 11

• Chemotherapy
• Haematological malignancy
• Comorbidities e.g. diabetes

Question 12

Examples of exposures that put patients at risk of infection

Answer 12

• Multiple admissions
• Antibiotic courses
• Intensive care

Question 13

Attributes of community acquired infection

Answer 13

• Have to be capable of spreading between healthy people
• Capable of spreading prior to symptom onset

Question 14

Examples of community acquired infections

Answer 14

• Tuberculosis
• Chicken pox (VZV)
• Influenza A
• Food poisoning (Salmonella, Campylobacter)

Question 15

Examples of hospital acquired infections

Answer 15

• Catheter related UTI
• Ventilator associated pneumonia
• Clostridium difficile
• IV catheter associated bloodstream infection

Question 16

Definition of a Healt Care associated Infection

Answer 16

• An infection that occurs more than 48 hours after admission to hospital (longer if long incubation)
• An infection that occurs within 10 days of discharge from hospital (30 days for surgical wound)
• An infection that occurs with 72 hours of an outpatient procedure

Question 17

Common HCAI infection

Answer 17

Pneumonia

UTI

Surgical site infection

Clinical spesis

GI

Question 18

Antibiotics for Sensitive and Resistant Staph aureus

Answer 18

Question 19

Antibiotics for Sensitive and Resistant Staph Enteroccus

Answer 19

Question 20

Treating E.coli

Answer 20

Question 21

How to stop a chain of infections

Answer 21

Remove source

Prevent transmission

Reduce patient susceptibility

Identify carriage

Question 22

Characteristics of Group A strep

Answer 22

Beta haemolysis
Gram positive cocci in chains Lancefield group A Streptococcus pyogenes

Question 23

Characteristics of S. aureus

Answer 23

Gram positive cocci in clusters

Coagulase positive

Staphylococcus aureus

Question 24

Considerations in prescribing for asymptomatic bacteruria

Answer 24

Common reason for unnecessary antibiotic prescription

• Don’t send urine for culture if no clinical suspicion of UTI

Pregnant women are an exception

• High risk of pyelonephritis
• Threat to the baby
• Single course antibiotics if confirmed high bacterial count in urine

Catheter urines are nearly always dipstick positive!

Elderly have higher levels of bacteria than healthy young people, but may not be current relevant infection

Question 25

 Carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae likely to be the next big problem

 Currently screening anyone with recent hospital stay overseas for CPE

Question 26

Process for exterminating MRSA

Answer 26