INFECTION CONTROL

Why is Infection Control Important?

“ Hospitals should do the sick no harm”.

Florence Nightingale (1859)

Patients are vulnerable to infection

WHERE CAN MICRO ORGANISMS BE FOUND ?

• Environment • People • Equipment • Food

WHAT DO MICRO ORGANISMS NEED TO GROW?

• Warmth • Moisture • Food source • Time

HOW DO THEY SPREAD?

• Hands • Through the air • Via equipment e.g. Commodes • Puncture of the skin • Food • An infected person • Droplets • Contact • Skin scales

Standard precautions are the

minimal

level of infection control precautions that apply to all patients at all times in all situations.

Who is responsible for implementing Standard Precautions?

We all are.

All NHSGGC employees must follow the requirements of the Standard Precautions Policy – See your ward Infection Control Manual for information.

Hand hygiene Isolating infectious patients PPE Masks and Eye protection There are 10 elements to

Standard Precautions

Environment Clinical Waste Spillages Patient care equipment Cough Etiquette Linen Occupational Exposure

Hand Hygiene

The simplest and most effective method of preventing the spread of infection

Hand Hygiene

• Simple and effective • Proven to reduce the risk of acquiring HAI • Use of alcohol gels • Performed between each patient intervention • Ensure technique is good

Wet hands, apply soap. Palm to palm.

Right palm over left dorsum and left palm over right dorsum.

Palm to palm fingers interlaced .

Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked.

Rotational rubbing of right thumb clasped in left palm and vice versa.

Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice versa.

Alcohol Hand Gel

• Used as a compliment to handwashing not a replacement • Good for rapid disinfection of skin • Can only be used on physically clean hands • Suitable for use on ward rounds between patients.

• Should only be used up to 5 times then wash hands with soap and water • Placed at every bed space within NHSGGC

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)

• Gloves • Aprons • Eye protection • Face shields • Masks

Isolation

Protective

• Vulnerable patients, with poor immune systems.

• Patients who may be receiving chemotherapy • Stop these patients catching an infection

Source

• Patients identified as carrying bugs that could cause other patients to become ill if it was passed onto them.

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) • What is MRSA?

• What are the predisposing risk factors?

• What is colonised, What is infected?

• How is MRSA transmitted

MRSA screening

• Who should be screened • When should they be screened • What samples should be taken • What treatment should be given • What about isolation

Clostridium difficile

Symptoms • Watery, foul smelling stools.

• Abdominal pain.

• Pyrexia (high temperature) • Dehydration.

How to prevent spread of Clostridium Difficile to other patients • If they have diarrhoea send a sample.

• Isolate them in a side room.

• Use Personal Protective Equipment.

• Encourage the patient to wash their hands after using the toilet.

• Clean the commode thoroughly after every use with Actichlor Plus.

OUTBREAKS

OUTBREAKS

• What is an outbreak • When should infection control be notified • What information is required • Can patients be discharged/transferred • Can patients attend for examinations e.g. x ray • Enhanced cleaning • Outbreak is over, what now?

BRISTOL STOOL CHART

Long Transit e.g 100 hours

Type 1 Type 2 Type 3 Type 4 Type 5 Type 6 Type 7

Short transit e.g 10 hours

Separate hard lumps, like nuts hard to pass Sausage shaped but lumpy Like sausage but with cracks on the surface Like sausage or snake, smooth and soft Soft blobs with clear cut edges (passed easily) Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool Watery, no solid pieces

Types 1-5 do not send specimens to microbiology .

Types 6 and 7 send specimens to microbiology

Prevention and Control of Infection Team

• There are Prevention and Control of Infection Teams available for specialist Infection Control advice within NHSGGC • Contact details of local Infection Control Teams (ICT) can be found within NHSGGC Prevention and Control of Infection Manual, via your local switchboard or website; www.nhsggc.org.uk/infectioncontrol