Infection Control and Glucometry

Question 1

True or false? Assume all pts have blood borne pathogens

Answer 1

True

Question 2

What are appropriate guidelines to protect yourself from infection control?

Answer 2

Proper hygiene before and after pt care (wear gloves!)
Avoid needle pokes
Throw everything away properly
Use mouth filters when doing mouth to mouth
Protect from splash risks with masks, face shields, eye protection and gowns

Question 3

When might an optometrist be exposed to splash?

Answer 3

Incontinent or nauseated patients

Question 4

When do you need to worry about transmission based precautions?

Answer 4

Usually in hospital setting

Highly transmissible or epidemiologically important dz

Question 5

How would you protect yourself from transmission based diseases?

Answer 5

Would depend on whether it is airborne, droplet or contact based transmission

Question 6

How would you know what transmission based precautions to take?

Answer 6

Would be noted on color coded sign outside of pt door

Question 7

What precautions would you take if pt was in isolation?

Answer 7

Wash hands before and after leaving the room

May have to wear protection when near patient

Question 8

Why worry about infection control?

Answer 8

Protect self and patients

Question 9

What are Healthcare associated infections?

Answer 9

Infections pts require from healthcare setting usually from providers

Question 10

What personal hygiene steps should you take for infection control?

Answer 10

Bathe, moisturize and keep nails trimmed
Keep hair off collar, beware scarves and ties
No/simple jewelry
Close toed shoes

Question 11

Note! Always report contact with patients with communicable diseases!

Answer 11

Free Card

Question 12

Why is handwashing so important?

Answer 12

Most important way to prevent spread of infection

Question 13

When would you wash your hands?

Answer 13

Before and after seeing patient (do in front of pt)
After touching pt care equipment
Before putting on gloves or doing invasive procedures

Question 14

How do you wash your hands?

Answer 14

For duration of “Happy Birthday” and turn faucet off with paper towel and open door with paper towel

Question 15

What’s the current preferred decontamination method?

Answer 15

Alcohol based hand sanitizer

Question 16

How do you apply hand sanitizer?

Answer 16

Rub on and around fingers
Let air dry
Don’t rinse with water

Question 17

What should go into the sharps container? Where should the sharps container go?

Answer 17

Anything sharp including coverslips and slides as well as capillary tubes
They go near place of use

Question 18

When should you dispose of sharps and biohazard bags?

Answer 18

When 3/4 full

Question 19

What should go in biohazard bags?

Answer 19

Soft contaminated items

Anything that’s touched pt’s mucous membranes or got body fluids on them (except sweat)

Question 20

How do you recap needles?

Answer 20

With one hand only if you ever need to

Question 21

What should you avoid bringing into lab?

Answer 21

Open toed shoes

Food and drink

Question 22

How do you get rid of contaminated linens

Answer 22

Roll up with contaminated side in

Avoid shaking or pulling free

Question 23

How do you dispose of blood or urine?

Answer 23

Can wash into sewage system after flushing with lots of water

Question 24

How often do you need to disinfect clinic lanes and what do you disinfect them with?

Answer 24

Daily. 1:10 soln of bleach or other thing that kills all viruses and bacteria
Need to dry surfaces completely and use gloves

Question 25

How often do you clean instruments?

Answer 25

After each use

Question 26

What can you use as personal protective equipment?

Answer 26

masks/face shields | Gloves and gown

Question 27

When should you do an in-office glucose eval?

Answer 27

When pt doesn't remember blood/plasma glucose or HbA1C level When pt responds poorly to control of DM If pt showing signs of DM

Question 28

What are signs of possible DM

Answer 28

``` Weight change, increase thirst and urination Change in refractive error/transient blurring Diabetic retinopathy (Vascular changes) ```

Question 29

What does each glucose meter come with and what wouldn't you use in clinic?

Answer 29

``` Meter Disposable lancets test strips control solution Sampler (NOT USED IN CLINIC) ```

Question 30

How often do you test with control solution and how do you do it?

Answer 30

``` Once a week When use new pack test strips Drop meter Results inconsistent with pt symptoms 1st drop into trash, use 2nd drop on glove into meter ```

Question 31

How do you test pt glucose?

Answer 31

Put on gloves Clean finger and gently squeeze before lancetting Throw lancet into sharps container Squeeze little drop out and put on test strip Get a reading

Question 32

When should you send a patient for full lab/PCP DM workup?

Answer 32

>140mg/dL

Question 33

Why can't you use the meter to diagnose DM?

Answer 33

Not plasma glucose level (Can be ~15% lower)

Question 34

When would glucose levels appear lower than they are?

Answer 34

Pt dehydrated

Question 35

How are lab conditions different than just using a meter?

Answer 35

Fasting Plasma glucose levels done with 2 different samples

Question 36

How would you get in-office testing privileges?

Answer 36

Get CLIA waiver