Medical Asepsis Essay

Sepsis is both best known yet most poorly understood medical disorders [1]. Sepsis leads to shock, multiple organ failure and death if not recognized early and treated promptly [2]. It is a serious clinical condition that represents a patient’s response to infection and has a high mortality rate [3]. Sepsis remains the dominant challenge in the care of critically ill patients [4]. Up to 19 million cases of sepsis worldwide per annum is estimated. The true incidence is higher [1]. Sepsis is associated with a mortality rate of 25 - 30% and mortality due to septic shock is 50-85% [6-8]. Patients with sepsis requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission had high rates of ICU and overall hospital mortality, ranging from 18 to 50% [9-12]. The most common sites of infection are

Procedures and systems relevant to the prevention and control of infection are following companies’ policies and procedures which relate to correct hand washing procedure, wearing correct PPE for example gloves, aprons and protective clothing, the correct disposal of waste and using the correct cleaning equipment when cleaning spillages, surfaces, equipment, etc.

Disinfection is used when a piece of equipment may have been contamination with a pathogenic micro-organism from mucous membranes or bodily fluids. Disinfection reduces the amount of micro-organisms but it will not destroy all bacteria or viruses. There are two methods of disinfection Heat and chemical disinfectants. Auto-claves are used in the hospital for items e.g. bed pans, endoscopes and devices used on a

Before I started the assessment I used alcohol gel to decontaminate my hand. NICE (2006) states that hand must be decontaminated before each and every episode of direct patient care. It is important to decontaminate my hand to prevent cross-infection of micro-organisms from staff to patient, for example Hospital Acquired Infection. I realised that I am going to have contact with body fluid and blood therefore I put on a pair of latex gloves and disposable plastic apron. Wandsworth Teaching Primary Care Trust May (2008) states that ‘Personal Protective Equipment is designed to protect the healthcare worker from coming into contact with potentially infectious body fluids. It may also protect the patient from the healthcare workers own microbial flora’.

Has anyone ever considered how medical devices are prepared before a surgical procedure? Central Sterile Processing Department (CSPD) consists of services within the Hospital, in which reusable medical devices will be cleaned, prepared, and processed. The role for CSPD is to prevent infection transmitted by usage of medical devices. The procedure for hospital medical devices before surgery has a four part workflow process in: Decontamination, to Instrumentation, to Sterilization and Sterile Storage (Case Carts). An example is given for reprocessing an Intestinal Set and the supplies needed for the preparation of this medical device set.

All areas that are being used for healthcare activities should be cleaned with either disinfectant wipes each morning and in between patients/procedures. Equipment should be all new out of the packets and clean. For things more major such as vasectomy’s, minor surgery or family planning clinics, areas should be cleaned everywhere with a disinfectant fluid and also with wipes, gloves should always be worn as well as other PPE such as aprons and hats. All equipment should be new from the packet and only touched by the person who is using

Sterile Processing compromises a service of which the medical and surgical supplies of any medical facility’s equipment and instrumentation- sterile or non-sterile are cleaned, prepared, processed, stored, and distributed throughout the healthcare facility. There are several functions of this highly skilled team perform on a daily basis from decontamination to the sterilization of high risk medical implant devices. They are the first line of defense in infection prevention for any patient receiving medical treatment in healthcare facilities. Japp (2014) affirmed the importance of properly processing medical devices performed by Sterile Processing technicians for patient safety by stating a critical point “Not following the correct process can be detrimental to the patient as the device that we are assuming is safe for the patient may all actually cause severe illness or death” (p.

Once the dressings were securely on and the procedure had been finished, I removed my apron and gloves and disposed of them in the plastic bag, along with everything thing else I had used and then washed my hands again. After leaving the patients home I discussed my practical experience with the Nurse who informed me that I although I had carried out the procedure well it was actually carried out using a clinically clean technique rather than the Aseptic Non Touch Technique as I had thought. As I had used the same gloves to remove the dirty dressings from the leg ulcer and then apply new sterile dressings I had not maintained the Aseptic Non Touch Technique. The Nurse informed me that this was perfectly suitable for the procedure I carried out as the wound was still kept as clean as possible and dressings and equipment used were sterile.

General: no history of weight change, fever or chills, weakness, fatigue, or change in appetite;

Health Care providers must implement infection control at all times. This is essential in order to avoid any sources of contamination that would put patients at risk for infection as well as all hospital personnel. There are two important aseptic techniques: Medical Asepsis, and Surgical Asepsis. The first one includes hand hygiene, use of gloves, masks, gowns and routine

Healthcare policy is a very interesting topic on lots of levels and this will be a continues topic that comes up domestically or internationally. When it comes to discussing health care in the United states a lot of these discussions begin with quality and cost. In the New England journal of medicine, there is an article that titled “The Relation between Funding by the National Institutes of Health and Burdon of Disease”. (2016) This article discusses topics of research programs of the National Institutes of Health and how they have been successful in the years. (NIH) scientist have been funded and made great progress in the understanding of the basic functions of disease. They also make note of how the

Medical errors are avoidable mistakes in the health care. These errors can take place in any type of health care institution. Medical errors can happen during medical tests and diagnosis, administration of medications, during surgery, and even lab reports, such as the mixing of two patients’ blood samples. These errors are usually caused by the lack of communication between doctors, nurses and other staff. A medical error could cause a severe consequence to the patient in cases consisting of severe injuries or cause/effect any health conditions, and even death. According to recent studies medical errors are not the third leading cause of death in the United States. (Walerius. 2016)

* Hand washing is the most important method of preventing the spread of infection by contact (Ayliffe et al 1999). The Nottingham University Trust Policy on Hand Hygiene (2009) states that there are three types of hand hygiene, the first is ‘routine hand hygiene’ which involves the use of soap and water for 15 – 20 seconds or the application of alcohol hand rub until the hand are dry. The second is ‘hand disinfection’ which should be used prior to an aseptic procedure by washing with soap and water and applying alcohol hand rub afterwards. The third is ‘surgical hand washing’ which is the application of a microbial agent to the hands and wrists for two minutes. In addition to which a sterile, disposable brush may be used for the first surgical hand wash of the day although continued use will encourage colonisation of microbes. The third example is the most appropriate to any O.D.P undertaking the surgical role as it is the best way for the surgical team to eliminate transient flora and reduce resident skin flora (World Health Organization 2010). The first and second are important to any O.D.P undertaking any other role within the Operating Department as this is the best way to reduce the transient microbial flora without necessarily affecting the resident skin flora

Public health is a dynamic field of medicine that is concerned primarily with improving the health of populations rather than just the health of individuals. Winslow (1920) defined public health as;

Besides the computer revolution, medical advances have caused tension between faith and reason. The medical advances of the Twentieth Century have many beneficial effects for humanity. Diseases that used to be dangerous or life threatening, like mumps, measles, and whooping cough, are no longer worries in todays medical world. Tetanus, typhoid, and the bubonic plaque can now be treated with antibiotics or other medicines. Vaccines, especially the polio vaccine, freed many people from the effects of a disease. Advances in heart surgery and organ transplants have saved many lives. Anesthetics and painkillers have been made to reduce or eliminate pain during surgery or a painful disease. Advances in cancer and AIDS have