Infection Control and Medical Asepsis

Pruritic

pertaining to an itching sensation

Nits

the eggs of a louse or other parasitic insect

Protozoa

Single-celled animal

Sanitization

is the process of washing and scrubbing to remove materials such as body tissue, blood, or other contaminants

The interval between exposure to infection and the appearance of the first symptoms is called the _______ period

incubation

Hard capsules known as ____ are formed by certain bacteria that enable them to resist prolonged exposure to heat

spores

Growth requirements for microorganisms include

Oxygen, pH, Temperature, nutrients, water, and a host to inhibit

incubation

pathogen gains entry and replicates

prodromal stage

first onset of symptoms and signs

acute stage

highest point

declining stage

symptoms start to subside

convalescant

symptoms have all but completely vanished and pathogen mostly eliminated

5 steps in the infectious disease process

1. incubation
2. prodromal stage
3. acute stage
4. declining stage
5. convalescant

medical asepsis

is a type of infection control that decreases pathogenic microorganisms and their spread after they leave the body

autoclave exerts

15-30 lbs of steam pressure per square inch

autoclave reaches a temp of

250-270 degrees Fahrenheit

Treatment for conjunctivitis

Antibacterial agents, antibiotics, or corticosteriods, depending on the causative agent

Treatment for impetigo

Cleansing of areas with antimicrobial soap and water and topical and/ or oral antibiotics

Treatment for Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)

Topical appication of drying medications and antiboitics for secondary infections

Symptoms of Scabies

intense itching of small raised areas of the skin

Symptoms of Scarlet Fever

Strawberry tongue, rash on the skin and inside of mouth, high fever, nausea, and vomiting

Virulence

a microorganisms power to produce a disease

Metazoa

multi-cellular organisms that cause pinworms, hookworms, and tapeworms

Ectoparasites

multi-cellular parasites

Rickettsiae

known as obligate parisites because they depend completely on their host for survival

asepsis

a state of being free from all pathogenic microorganisms

normal flora

cohabitation of microorganisms (non-pathogenic and pathogenic in balance) that live in or within an organism to provide a natural immunity against certain infections

aerobes

microorganisms that need oxygen to grow

anaerobes

microorganisms that do not need oxygen to grow

bacteria

microorganisms that vary in their morphology. They lack a nucleus and organelles. Reproduce by cell division approximately every 20 minutes.

Viruses

the smallest of the microorganisms. ____ can only reproduce themselves only within a host, by attaching itself to a cell and taking over the cell's nucleus.

Fungi

simple parasitic plants that depend on other life forms for a nutritional source

Mold (multi-celled)

spread and reproduce by spore formation, can survive harsh environmental (such as dry condition that do not support normal mold growth)

Yeast (single-celled)

consist of oval or round cells found in soils and on plant surfaces, in sugary mediums such as flower nectar and fruits, and as mild to dangerous pathogens in humans. The multiplication of ___ cells occurs by a budding process, by the formation of cross w

Yeast infection

Candida albicans

toplasmosis

a lung infection passed on by the droppings of certain birds and bats

reservoir

the place where conditions are ripe for replication.

fomite

an object that may harbor a disease agent, and is also capable of transmitting it

vector

an organism that transmits a pathogen

body secretions

wash pathogens from the body

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

CLIA

Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments

Engineering controls

devices that isolate or remove the blood-borne pathogen hazard from the workplace. They include sharps disposal containers, self-sheathing needles, and safer medical devices

Work practice controls

these are practices that reduce the likelihood of exposure by changing the way a task is performed. They include appropriate procedures for hand washing, sharps disposing, lab specimen packaging, etc.

What is PPE?

Personal Protection Equipment

PPE

Employers must provide PPE such as gloves, gowns, and masks.

Hepatitis B vaccinations

must be available to all employees with occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens within 10 days of employment, with no cost to the employee.

Post- exposure follow-up

employers must provide post-exposure follow-up to any worker who experiences an exposure incident, at no cost to the worker.

Labels and signs to communicate hazards

the standard requires warning labels affixed to containers or regulated waste, refrigerators and freezers, and other containers used to store or transplant blood or other potentially infectious materials.

information and training to employees

employers must ensure that their workers receive regular training that covers the dangers of blood-borne pathogens, preventive practices, and post-exposure procedures

documented employee medical and training records

medical and training records must be maintained for each employee

disinfection

a process by which disease-producing microorganisms, or pathogens are killed (does not always kill spores)

disinfect

pertains to a chemical or physical means of destroying bacteria

household bleach and isopropyl alcohol

used on items that touch only intact skin, such as stethoscopes and exam tables

ethyl or isopropyl alcohol

used on items that touch non-intact skin and mucous membranes, such as thermometers and ear speculas

glutaraldehyde- based formulas

used on enodscopes and laryngoscopes

sterilization

the process that destroys all forms of living organisms