Transcript Infection Control Program

Infection Control Program
 The Infection Control Program is a
Center wide discipline that develops
effective measures to:
**** prevent
**** identify
**** and control
infections acquired in the Medical Center
or brought into the Medical Center from
the community.
What is the single most
important means to prevent the
spread of infection?
Good Hand Hygiene
Practices
When should I wash my hands?
• Before and after patient contact
• After contact with any infectious or
potentially infectious material
• After removing gloves or before
putting on a new pair
• After using the restroom
• Before and after eating
Hand Hygiene
Options
• Regular soap and Water
• Antimicrobial hand soap and water
• Alcohol hand gels/foams
• Lotions
Blood Borne Pathogens
• HIV
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• These are the top three of most
concern for healthcare workers
• Every direct healthcare worker should
be vaccinated against Hepatitis B!
If You have possible HIV
exposure…
• Wash exposed site with soap and water (If eye,
flush with water only)
• In this order of preference contact:
_ Your immediate supervisor
– Employee Health
– Emergency Department
– Infection Control Physician on call
• Tests for HIV will most likely occur immediately
and 3, 6, and 12 months after exposure.
Source of exposure
• You don’t know if the source of the
exposure is HIV positive.
• Testing can ONLY be conducted with
the patients consent.
• You may possibly receive antiviral
prophylaxis, depending on the nature
of the exposure.
Your patient receives a
positive test result…
• Report and communicate with infection
control. The IC office will handle the report
to local and state health departments
(DHEC).
• If any information is needed from you for
the DHEC report, Infection control will
contact you.
Standard Precautions
– Treat every person as potentially
infectious
– Use thorough hand-washing (best
defense) to prevent the spread of
infection
– Wear gloves & other protective
equipment
– Never recap needles! Use Safety devices
– Report any exposures immediately to
your immediate supervisor
Isolation Precautions
• Lets talk about Precautions taken in
addition to standard Precautions called:
• Transmission-based Precautions
– CONTACT
– DROPLET
– AIRBORNE
Contact Isolation:
• Used for patients that are infected with
antibiotic resistant organisms such as
(Methicillin Resistant Staph, Aureus
(MRSA), Vancomycin Resistant
Enterococi (VRE), or C. difficile that can
be transmitted by direct contact, or by
indirect contact with the surface of patient
care items in the environment. Used in
addition to standard precautions.
Isolation
• Contact Precautions
– Private room, if possible
• Cohorting might be
necessary
– Gloves &Gowns
– Wash hands
– Limit the use of non-critical
patient care equipment to
single patient
– Clean/Disinfect common
equipment used between
patients
Droplet Isolation
Used for patients with known or
suspected agents transmitted
by large droplet method
(>5microns). Indications:
Influenza, meningitis,
Meningococcal pneumonia,
and resistant Streptococcus
pneumonia disease. Used in
addition to Standard
Precautions.
Isolation
• Droplet Precautions
– Private room
– Wear surgical mask within 3 feet of
patient or when entering room
– Patient transport
• Limit movement of patients to essential
purposes
• Place surgical MASK on patient if
transport is necessary
• Always notify all staff involved in a
transfer of the precautions
Airborne Isolation
Used for patients with
suspected or diagnosed
conditions that are
transmitted by the
airborne route such as
pulmonary tuberculosis
or meningococcal
meningitis.
Symptoms of TB
–
–
–
–
Cough
Weakness
Fatigue
Unexplained weight
loss
– Hemoptysis
– Night sweats
*Mention ppd
(Everyone does have a
current PPD, right?)
Masks
• Who can wear a Respirator (N95) in our
facility?
• Answer---Only a trained, fit-tested
healthcare professional.
• Patients, Family, visitors, and volunteers
always wear a surgical mask. Never put a
respirator on someone who has not been
trained or fit-tested to wear one.
Biohazard Waste
• Red Bag = Blood
Where Does All The
Garbage Go?
• Sharps: Needles, lancets, surgical
staples, rods, pins, intravenous catheters,
protected sharps, syringes with attached
needles, scalpels, scissors, guide wires,
etc
• Sharps Container – Must be emptied
when ¾ full. They become a danger
when overfilled.
Isolation Room Waste:
Isolation status does not affect Red Bag
Waste Guidelines: Regular trash from an
isolation room is still regular trash.
• Trash Can
• Liquid Human Waste from reusable
containers like urine, feces, sputum,
blood etc.
• Toilet
• (Use splash precautions)
Questions to check out & be
familiar with:
• What kinds of precautions do you practice
on your units or work area?
• How is biohazardous waste handled?
• Where is Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) kept? Do you have everything you
need?
• How is equipment cleaned?
(I.e., wheelchairs, laryngoscope blades, etc)?
Questions to look up & be
familiar with:
• How do you give and receive feedback
from the infection control practitioner?
• How do you know if items are clean or
dirty?
• What actions have you taken to reduce
risks for and/or prevent nosocomial
(hospital acquired) infections?
Patient Safety Goal number seven (7)
is very important for infection control:
• 7. “Reduce the risk of health care
acquired infections”
(Nosocomial Infections-Hospital
Acquired Infections)
Number one way…Good Hand
Hygiene Practices…WASH,WASH,
and WASH AGAIN!
Infection Control Resources
 Infection Control
Practitioner
Marietta Hill,RN,BSN,CIC
ext. 7469, Pager 219-0398
 Medical Center
Epidemiologist
Preston Church, MD
ext. 7714, Pager 14342