outbreak

Question 1

What is the definition of a Healthcare associated infection?

Answer 1

It is an infection you might catch when getting healthcare in hospitals, care homes, doctors’ surgeries, health centres or receiving care at home

Question 2

What are some of the most common HAI?

Answer 2

• Urine infection
• Infection after surgery
• Skin infection
• Diarrhoea

Question 3

When do HAIs most commonly present?

Answer 3

• Usually presents after 48hrs in surgery

* Incubation period can vary

Question 4

What is an outbreak?

Answer 4

2 or more cases of an infection linked in time and by place

Question 5

What are the purposes of these measures put in place?

Answer 5

1st purpose: PREVENT

2nd purpose: DETECT and IDENTIFY at earliest opportunity

Question 6

Chain of infection

Answer 6

• Susceptible host
• Infectious agent
• Reservoir e.g. Human, equipment , environment, food
• Mode of transmission: direct/ indirect
• Portal of entry
• portal of exit

Question 7

How to prevent a break in the chain

Answer 7

• Hand hygiene
• Personal protective equipment
• Food safety
• Cleaning, disinfection, sterilisation
• Isolation

Question 8

what are the main modes of transmission?

Answer 8

1- direct contact
2- Airborne/ inhalation
3- Ingestion

Question 9

What are the differences between droplets and aerosols?

Answer 9

Droplet :
•>5 micrometres
•Drops to the ground
•Spread is about 1 m

Aerosol:
•<5micrometers
•More widespread
•Remains suspended in the air

Question 10

when should hand hygiene be performed?

Answer 10

• Before touching the patient
• Before a clean/ septic procedure
• After bod/ fluid exposure
• After touching a patient
• After touching a patients surroundings

Question 11

What does Cleaning imply?

Answer 11

Physical removal of organic material and DECREASE in microbial load

Question 12

When can cleaning be used?

Answer 12

with low risk procedures e.g. stethoscope cleaning

Question 13

What must be done post cleaning?

Answer 13

DRY

Question 14

What does disinfection imply

Answer 14

Large REDUCTION in microbe numbers

Question 15

What are the methods of disinfection?

Answer 15

• Heat : pasteurisation/ boiling

- Chemical

Question 16

What does sterilisation imply?

Answer 16

Removal of ALL MICROBES AND SPORES

Question 17

When is sterilisation performed?

Answer 17

High risk procedures e.g. surgical equipment

Question 18

What are the main methods used for sterilisation?

Answer 18

• steam under pressure
• hot air oven
• gas
• ionising radiation

Question 19

when is disinfection performed

Answer 19

Can use with medium procedures e.g. bedpans, vaginal speculas, Endoscopes