Risk Of Possible Spread Of Nosocomial Infections Essay

Dirty equipment – having dirty equipment which is not cleaned between patients can spread infection very fast lots of bacteria can be spread on a blood pressure cuff for example.

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.

| UNIT 4222- 264 THE PRINCIPLES OF INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL | | | |

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 make their way 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 health-care-associated infections have been decreasing, one infection inciting nosocomial bacterial, Clostridium difficile has been rampant. It is important that inefficiencies in health-care be met with stringent efforts for prevention as they may lead to distressing financial, emotional, and medical repercussions.

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.

Prevention strategies of nosocomial infections related to poor hand hygiene include revision of: orientation, training processes, competency assessments, equipment cleaning, handwashing procedures, switching to the use of single-use IV flush vials, adding strategically located waterless hand rubs, defining supervisory expectations, conducting in-services, team trainings, and tracking systems (Infection control related sentinel events, 2003). Potential solutions to noncompliance include: consistent skin protectant application, reduced time required for handwashing, and antiseptic stations at the bedside and room entry points (Boyce, 1999). Hospital administrators must create an organizational atmosphere in which adherence to recommended HH practices are considered an integral part of providing high-quality care (Boyce, 1999). Improvement in infection control

Stethoscope is one of the most commonly used medical devices on a clinical setting, the environment of which is often represented a potential vector for hospital acquired infections. Scholars highlights that the sterilization of invasive equipments and the disinfection of any kind of devices before the interventions are generally ignored (Kilic et al., 2011). Among those devices, stethoscope is the widely-used equipment with the most possibility of contamination of transmitted organism. Researchers emphasize that the increasing proliferation of infection required diligent hygiene of both hands and instruments between patients to reduce hospital acquired infections (Shaw and Cooper, 2014). Therefore, a survey is being conducted with a brief nurse-directed questionnaire to review perceived reasons for stethoscope antisepsis non-compliance and stethoscope antisepsis compliance. The purpose of this project is to improve compliance with stethoscope care before and after patient contact on the Acute Medical and Progressive Care Unit (D6/5) at University Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. The following

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

The study conducted had two phases. The first phase to culture 44 transducer heads and 43 gels. The second phase they cultured the same heads but with cleaning them with 70% alcohol. The results were that 27% of the heads and 28% of the gels were contaminated. They stated that the gels were the more contaminated ones. They grew bacteria like Stenotrophomonas maltophilia., Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. 3 Studies showed that cleaning with the 70% alcohol significantly reduced the bacteria. The use of ultrasound usually involves a transducer head used with a non-sterile gel. This contact creates a vector for bacteria if not cleaned according to protocol. This study showed that 99.5% of the isolated cultures were classified as potentially pathogenic and some others were known to be opportunistic pathogens.

- Microorganisms from the environment through transmission from: carriers colonized at admission, admitted to wards without undergoing surveillance, isolation or eradication of the germ(s); patients who have developed the infection but who have not been isolated;contact with contaminated objects and surfaces; medical personnel, usually via their hands; invasive procedures such as the installation or maintenance of a device(1).

In a hospital, Acinetobacter colonizes irrigating solutions. Studies have shown that this organism can survive on dry surfaces for extended periods of time. Many studies have revealed that past exposure to antimicrobial therapy has been the most common risk factor in acquiring an Acinetobacter infection. Patients with Acinetobacter infections have a history of spending an excessive amount of time in the hospital or using antimicrobial therapy. These infections are mostly seen in patients who have multiple intravenous lines, urinary catheters, or patients who are intubated. When a patient does acquire an Acinetobacter infection, they usually involve the organ systems which have a high fluid content especially in patients respiratory

The nosocomial infection prevention program has been developed to serve as basic practical resource to all health care individuals, as well as for those who work in the infection control department in our health care facility. The program will provide helpful information, rationales and recommendations in our join effort to fight hospitals’ acquired infection. This program will assist our hospital administrators, infection control personnel and, those involved in direct patient’ care to prevent hospital acquired infections.

These barriers include the understanding of standard cleaning techniques, communication between hospital personal of patients infected with certain vectors, and knowledge of specific vector control methods. When it comes to understanding standard cleaning techniques for the technologist the unique challenges for effective disinfection comes from the variety of surfaces and equipment found in radiology departments. Porous materials and intricate imaging and peripheral devices require special consideration when designing and maintaining department cleaning policies.5 Strictly adhering to this cleaning procedure between patient interaction is key factor. The technologist should always be aware of what surfaces were directly related to the patient during the exam. When it comes to the second barrier, improved communication can enhance adherence to infection control precautions. This may include some behavioral change which remains a challenging obstacle. Infection control protocols are sometimes knowingly violated with the thinking this specific occasion will not result with any substantial consequences. When infection precautions are correctly communicated the technologist is in a greater positon to be able to take the proper precautions for controlling the vector. The final barrier would be knowledge of disinfectant techniques of specific vectors and wearing the correct protective gear for each situation. For the example ABR infections listed above this would include gowns and gloves being worn. The gloves and gowns should be disposed of prior to exiting the room. Immediately washing of the hands. If an imaging plate is used with a patient under a ABR contact precaution, it should be protected with a plastic covering and after removing the

Microorganisms between patient-to-patient, staff to patient, or vise versa can spread infection. As a respiratory therapist, we must always follow the policies and procedures for preventing this. In health care facilities, due to all the patients that come in sick are prone to carrying microorganisms and spread to staff and other patients. With patient safety being the main concern, infection can affect them if we don take action into standard precautions. This allows us to make sure all device is sanitary, wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and monitoring circuit / suction

Opportunistic infections (OIs) are infections that happen frequently and are more serious in individuals with weakened immune systems, including individuals with HIV. They are called “opportunistic” because they can cause overwhelming illnesses and take advantage of your weakened immune system. Most life-threatening OIs occur when your CD4 count is beneath 200 cells/mm. OIs are less normal now than they were in the beginning of HIV and AIDS since there are better treatments to keep a person’s immune system stronger and also lessen the amount of HIV in a person’s body. However, many people with HIV still develop OIs because they may not aware of their HIV infection, they may not keep their HIV levels sufficiently low for their immune system