Infection can easily spread in the clinical area.
You have studied that all links in the chain of infection must be connected.
Therefore it is your responsibility to break the chain & prevent the spread
of infection.
1. State six (6) essential factors in the chain of infection and give two (2)
example for each factor.
An infection occurs when there are presence of a pathogen. All components of the chain must be present and
intact for the infection to occur.
Components of the
chain include:-
No
|
Factor
|
Explanation
|
Example
|
1.
|
Infectious agent
|
Pathogens – disease causing
organisms
|
Bacteria, fungi, viruses and
protozoa
|
2.
|
Reservoir
|
Any place an infectious agent can survive,
grow or multiply
|
Plants, animals, soil, water, medical equipments,
oxygen tubing.
Human body is the most common reservoir.
|
3.
|
Portal of exit
|
Path which infectious agent
leaves the reservoir
|
Body fluids, mouth and nose,
respiratory tract, skin and mucous membrane and transplacental route from
mother to the unborn infant.
|
4.
|
Mode of transmission
|
Since microorganisms cannot travel on their
own, they require a vehicle to carry them to other people and places
|
1. Contact –
direct (person to person), indirect (object or surface), droplet
2. Airborne –
longer distance over a greater time
3. Ingestion of
contaminated food or water
4. Vector –
living creature, insects
|
5.
|
Portal of entry
|
Path which infectious agent
enter the host. Any opening on the body can be a portal of entry
|
Respiratory tract, ears,
eyes, gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, broken skin.
|
6.
|
Susceptible host
|
Any person who is at risk for infection.
|
Young children, elderly people, people with low
immunity (due to malnutrition, genetics)
|
2. Explain ten (10) nursing interventions to break
the chain of infection.
Nurse uses infection control practices (e.g. medical
asepsis, surgical asepsis, standard precautions) to break the chain and to stop the spread of infection.
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No
|
Nursing intervention
|
Rationale
|
1.
|
Educate support service personnels about appropriate methods of cleaning,
disinfect and sterilize equipments and devices.
|
Knowledge of ways to reduce or eliminate microorganisms is a step of
gaining compliance with aseptic practices.
|
2.
|
Assist patient to carry out appropriate skin and oral hygiene.
|
Hygiene measures reduce the numbers of microorganisms and the likelihood
of infection.
|
3.
|
Change dressing and bandage when they are soiled and wet.
|
Moist dressing is an ideal environment for microorganisms to grow and
multiply.
|
4.
|
Dispose of damp and soiled linens.
|
Damp and soiled linens provide an environment for microorganisms to
grow.
|
5.
|
Dispose of feces and urine.
|
Feces and urine contain many microorganisms. Feces may also be the
source of certain microorganisms such as Hep A virus.
|
6.
|
Ensure all fluid containers for example water jug, suction tube and
drainage bottles are covered or capped.
|
Prolonged exposure incerease the risk of contamination by airborne
pathogens.
|
7.
|
Empty suction tube and drainage bottles at the end of each shift or
before it is full.
|
If it is left too long, drainage may harbour microorganisms, it will
prolifarate and have the risk of transmitting to others.
|
8.
|
Avoid talking, coughing or sneezing over an open wound or sterile fields.
Cover the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
|
These will limit the number of microorganisms escape from the
respiratory tract.
|
9.
|
Perform hand hygiene as per guideline.
1. Before touching a patient
2. Before clean / aseptic procedure
3. after body fluid exposure risk
4. After touching a patient
5. after touching patient surroundings
|
Hand hygiene is an important means of controlling and preventing the
transmission of microorganisms.
|
10.
|
Wear mask and eye protection when in close contact with patient who has
infection transmitted by droplets from the respiratory tract.
|
Masks and goggles provide protection from microorganisms in patient’s
blood, body fluids, non-intact skin and mucous membrane.
|
11.
|
Use sterile technique for invasive procedures such as injection and
catheterization.
|
Invasive procedure penetrate the body natural protection barriers - skin (which is the 1st line defence mechanism) to microorganisms.
|
12.
|
Use sterile technique when expressing open wound or handling dressing.
|
Open wound is vulnerable to microbial infection.
|
13.
|
Provide all patients with their own personal care items.
|
People have less resistance to another person's microorganisms than to
their own.
|
14.
|
Maintain the integrity of patient’s skin and mucous membrane.
|
Intact skin and mucous membrane protect againts invasion by
microorganisms.
|
15.
|
Ensure patient receives a balanced diet.
|
A balanced diet supplies proteins and vitamins necessary to build and
maintain body tissues and also production of enzymes and hormones.
|
16.
|
Educate the public about the importance of immunizations.
|
Immunizations protect people from some infectious diseases.
|