Ch 33. Infection Control

Question 1

Infectious Control 2 purposes

Answer 1

1. Protect patient from acquiring infection

2. Prevent HCW from getting infected

Question 2

Communicable disease

Answer 2

the condition in which the infection can transmitted from one person to another.

Question 3

Chain of Infection

Answer 3

Infectious agent or pathogen -->
Reservoir or source for pathogen growth -->
Portal of exit from the reservoir -->
Modes of transmission -->
Portal of entry to a host -->
Susceptible host -->

As a nurse you must break the chain.

Question 4

A patient is admitted to the medical unit for a home-acquired pressure ulcer. The patient has Alzheimer’s disease and has been incontinent of urine. The nurse inserts a Foley catheter. Which of the following is a link in the infection chain?

Safety restraints
Patient’s cognitive status
Foley catheter bag
Improper positioning

Answer 4

C. Foley catheter bag  this can act as a reservoir or a portal of entry to the body

Question 5

Resident flora

Answer 5

deep residing. Permanent resident organisms on skin where they can reside an multiply without causing har. Hard to remove by hand washing without lots of friction. Need antimicrobial agents to remove. Can enter through incision on body,

Question 6

Transient microorganisms (flora)

Answer 6

move around and go from object/person/person. Easily removed by hand washing

Question 7

4 factors of if a microorganism will causes infection/disease

Answer 7

Number
Virulence
Entry and survival in host
Susceptibility of host

Question 8

reservoir

Answer 8

is a place where a pathogen can survive but may or may not multiply.

Question 9

Colonization

Answer 9

– pathogens present but no harm caused

Question 10

Carriers

Answer 10

individuals/animals that don’t have symptoms but can carry the pathogen that can be spread to others

Question 11

Reservoirs need 5 conditions for Pathogens to thrive

Answer 11

Food 
Oxygen (or no oxygen)
Water
Appropriate temperature and pH
Minimal light

Pathogens like dark, warm moist
Nourishment can be soil, bowls
Aerobic are more common than Anaerobic (no 02 ex deep in bowel)
Sometimes pathogens change their shape to become a spore so they can live in dry conditions (ex. Anthrax and tetanus)
Idea temp is 35-37C, 5-8pH (prefer alkaline especially in urine)

Question 12

Portal of Exit

Answer 12

The path by which the pathogen leaves the reservoir
Body openings (mouth, nose, rectum, vagina, urethra, ostomies)
Breaks in skin (scrape, cut, or other wound)
Breaks in mucous membranes (skin in mouth, eyes, nose, vagina, rectum)
Pathogens carried through portals by blood, body fluids, excretions, and secretions

Question 13

Contact transmission

Direct V. Indirect

Answer 13

Direct - from person to person (skin to skin)

Indirect – from person to object to person (eg. Patient to linen to nurse)

Question 14

Droplet transmission
Airborne transmission
Vehicle transmission
Vectorborne transmission

Answer 14

Droplet transmission – large particles from respiratory sys propelled through air
Airborne transmission – small particles remain suspended in air for long periods
Vehicle transmission – single contained source transmits to multiple hosts
Vectorborne transmission – insects/pests transmit microbes to humans

Question 15

Portal of Entry

Answer 15

Organism may enter by the same route as that through the portals of exit
Factors that reduce the body’s defences enhance pathogens’ chances of entering the body.

Question 16

Susceptible Host

Answer 16

Degree of resistance/susceptibility to a pathogen

Resistance increased by immunizations and actual contracting of the disease

Question 17

Severity of infection depends on

Answer 17

Extent: localized or systemic
Pathogenicity of the microorganism
Host susceptibility – is host healthy or sick?

Localized – limited to area like a wound
Systempic – the whole body is getting infected (septic)
Pathogenicity – how capable of pathogen of causing disease

Question 18

Course of Infection by Stage

Answer 18

Incubation period – time between pathogen entering and manifestation of 1st symptoms
Ex. Common cold has 1-2day, chicken pox 2-3 weeks, COVID 14days

Prodromal stage – interval from non-specific symptoms to specific. Likely most contagious because your growing all the organisms
Ex. Common cold we feel “achy”

Illness stage – specific symptoms
Ex. Common cold nose starts running or sore throat

Convalescence – acute symptoms dissipate and body tried to replenish resources and reach homeostasis
Ex. Don’t feel perfect, still recovering

Question 19

Normal flora

Answer 19

part of defense system. don’t cause disease when in usual area. Assist in ingestion. Disruption to normal flora causes body diease

Question 20

Inflamation

Answer 20

defence response to injury/infection. Protective vascular rxn that gives fluid/tblood products and nutrients issues to where illness occurs.

Signs on infection: Swelling, tenderness, heat, pain. Fever, nausea/vominniting if systempic

Vascular and cellular responses –> Inflammatory exudate –> Tissue repair

Question 21

Defences Against Infection

Answer 21

Normal flora
Body system defences -
Inflamation

Question 22

nosocomial or iatrogenic infections

Answer 22

Hospital-acquired infections (HAI)

Example: Clostridium difficile infection (CDiff). Very infectious

Question 23

Exogenous infection

Endogenous infection

Answer 23

Exogenous infection – infectious that’s external to individual (don’t exisist as normal flora)
Endogenous infection – infectious that results from overgrowth of normal flora (yeast infection, streep throat)