Essay On Airborne Bacteria

Microorganisms are both beneficial and harmful. These microorganisms are important to humans because they play a role in the ecology of life, by decomposing wastes, both natural and man-made, such as creating nitrogen fertilizer at the root zones of certain crops. Other several pathogens that can cause serious harm, even immediate death due to the diseases or disease causing products they produce. Overall, microorganisms play an important role in life.

Preventable infections regardless of the causative agent, have become major triggers of unintended patient outcome, increased morbidity, and mortality (Arias, 2010). Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA) and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) are the most common causes of healthcare associated infections (HAI) and outbreaks in acute care hospitals and community settings (CADTH, 2010). The widespread infection with the MRSA pathogen is believed to have increased from 2.4 percent in 1975 to 29 percent in 1991 and 2003 in hospitals across the United States (U S) (CADTH, 2010). The prevalence is even greater among Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients at 53 percent (CADTH, 2010) and continues to rise due to the widespread

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), specifically those involving multi-drug resistant organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, as well as higher cost of healthcare and longer length of hospital stays for patients. Each year, millions of people acquire infections while receiving care, treatment, and services in hospitals and other health care organizations.

Checking in to the hospital comes with a heavy price tag, and sometimes you get more than what you bargained for. As highly trained doctors, nurses, and staff traverse through the hospital, they carry with them microbial agents of disease. Although regarded as centers for treatment and prevention, hospitals are also known to harbor nosocomial, healthcare-associated, bacterial infections. These infections can be a result of overused or inappropriately used antibiotics and the breaching of infection containment policies by patients and staff. Though healthcare-associated infections have been decreasing, one infection inciting nosocomial bacterium,

Microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites can be transmitted to patients via poor quality cross infection control measures e.g. inadequate cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising of instruments, equipments and surfaces around the hospital

Hospital acquired infections are spread by numerous routes including contact, intravenous routes, air, water, oral routes, and through surgery. The most common types of infections in hospitals include urinary tract infections (32%),

The increasing incidences of MRSA in the hospitalized patients are becoming an alarming problem due to the poor surveillance screening for risk of infection. The literature and synthesis of the evidence largely recommends that the use of universal MRSA surveillance can increase the identification of MRSA infection or carriage. Likewise, evidence suggest that the use of universal surveillance combined with the implementation of isolation precautions and other infection control measures will result to improved patient outcome (Guleri et al., 2011).

Hospital-Acquired Infections entail, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and bloodstream infections. In addition to the patients, the Infections tend also to affect the healthcare workers who usually take care of the patients who are the main sources of the of the infectious diseases in the hospitals. The project tends to investigate the best evidence-based practices and approaches used to reduce the rate transmission and spread of the HAIs, such as washing of hands by healthcare workers. The statement of the problem focuses on the best methods and efforts that can be developed and implemented in the hospitals with the objective of preventing the Hospital Acquired Infections contributed by healthcare workers and the patients who come for treatments at the hospitals (CDC, 2016).

Hospital acquired infections are diseases that people acquire while they are getting treatment for another illness in a hospital. To be considered as a hospital acquired infection, the patient must not have had the disease before admitted into the hospital. Hospital acquired infections are associated with different kinds of risk factors including the use medical devices such as endotracheal, bloodstream, and urinary catheters; surgical procedures; injections; contamination of the health care environment; transmission of communicable diseases between patients and healthcare workers; and overuse or improper use of antibiotics. The most common hospital acquired infections include infections of surgical site, catheter-related infections of the urinary tract, bloodstream infections, and ventilator-related pneumonia. These four categories of infections account for more than eighty percent of all hospital acquired

“Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of preventable nosocomial infections and is endemic in hospitals worldwide” (Sadsad, Sintchenko, McDonnell, Gilbert, p.1, 2013). MRSA is a bacterial infection that is resistant to antibiotics that are usually used to treat staphylococcus infections. MRSA is mostly found on the skin, but can also be seen in wound or sputum. Nurses and other healthcare workers can help prevent the spread of MRSA by maintaining a good hand washing hygiene, putting patients in isolated rooms. However, patients with a history of MRSA should have an indicator on the door to inform staff of the infection. Nurses and other staff that will have physical contact with patients should be meticulous about using standard precautions, such as wearing protective equipment like gowns and gloves when handling patients with

In this article, the National Patient Safety Goal 07.01.01 addresses the reduction of hospital-acquired infections (Joint Commission, 2008). The Joint Commission (2008), the World Health Organization (WHO, 2009), the CDC (2006), and the Society for Healthcare

As nurses, taking care of patients with MRSA can be seen in everyday practice. It can be seen in patients with sepsis from an infected wound, patients who have pneumonia, or patients who only have a colonization for it (“Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 2015”). Regardless if it’s colonization or an active infection, and the source of the infection, proper policies and procedures are in place to reduce the transmission of MRSA to other patients in the hospital or nursing home setting. This includes performing proper hand hygiene and standard precautions, as well as wearing protective gown and gloves when entering the patient’s room. It is very important to adhere to these policies and procedures and educate others on the importance of these policies and procedures to reduce the transmission of MRSA to others.

The use of patient isolation and contact precautions for MRSA is a controversial issue resulting from evidence that both

The study conducted was to determine the unknown bacterium that was given by the Microbiology lab instructor. The purpose of this exercise is to go through a series of testing in order to identify a microorganism, how it grows, reproduces and how the bacteria can be treated and killed. The techniques involved in this study included; what type of agar to use, inoculating, proper sterilization, gram staining and how to handle bacteria in order to avoid contamination.

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) are infections that are caused by a wide variety of bacteria, fungi, and viruses during the course of receiving medical treatment or surgical procedures in a health care facility. Bacterial contamination on various surfaces in the patient 's environment, such as door handles, tables, intravenous (IV) poles, bed rails, or sinks, can be a source of transmission. Pathogens that cause HAIs - including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Acinetobacter spp., vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (VRE), and norovirus - can survive on environmental surfaces for days to weeks. Clostridium difficile (CDI) spores may survive on surfaces for months. Treating HAIs has become more difficult as antimicrobial resistance has increased and the number of effective antibiotics has declined. Regular surfaces made of plastic, stainless steel, coated metal, and wood are quickly re-contaminated after cleaning. Studies have shown that fewer than 50% of hospital room surfaces are adequately cleaned when standard chemical disinfectants are used. Similarly, inadequate cleaning of portable medical equipment has also been demonstrated. There is evidence that the risk of hand or glove contamination with antibiotic-resistant organisms is high after contact with the surfaces in a patient 's environment. Furthermore, a lower compliance with