ELEMENTS OF COMPETENCY

1. ELEMENTS OF COMPETENCY • Identify risks of infection • Apply standard infection control procedures as part of work routine • Recognise situations when additional infection control procedures are required • Identify other sources of infection • Assess levels of risk

2. INFECTION CONTROL • Staying alert • Assessing the situation • Following your facilities policies and procedures • Always exercise good hygiene practices • Using protective equipment • Following safe work practices

3. CLINICAL WASTE • Is anything that has the potential to cause sharps injuries, infection or offence. • EG. Sharps, human tissue, bulky body fluids and blood, visibly blood stained fluids and visibly blood stained disposable material and equipment.

4. DISPOSING OF CLINICAL WASTE • Ensure bags have sufficient strength • Do not overfill bags • Bags tied or sealed and stored in a secure place • Should not be transported in chutes • Should be yellow with biohazard symbol • Always wear gloves when handling clinical waste and containers.

5. WHAT IS AN MSDS MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET Suppliers are required to provide labels for and on containers and a material safety data sheet for hazardous substances they supply.

6. REMEMBER • Read the label • Look for risk and safety phrases • Look for signal words and symbols • Follow the safety instructions • Use only as directed

7. Storage of chemicals • If you must decant the new container should be labelled with risk and safety phrases. • Must not come into contact with food • Stored in secure, locked cupboard • If flammable store away from heat

8. INFECTION The invasion of the body by pathogenic agents with the subsequent multiplication and production of disease

9. NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION An infection that develops during hospitalisation that was not present or incubating at the time of admission. 5-10% of patients will acquire a nosocomial infection. • Urinary tract infection • Skin infections • Respiratory infections

10. MICROBIOLOGY The study of micro-organisms too small to be seen without the aid of a microscope.

11. MICRO-ORGANISM Any microscopic plant or animal cell, often a bacterium. Eg. Rickettsia Clamydia Protozoon Virus

12. PATHOGEN A disease producing agent usually restricted to a living agent.

13. STERILE Free from micro-organisms

14. DISINFECTION A process that eliminates many or all micro-organisms except bacterial spores.

15. STERILISATION Is the destruction of all living organisms, including spores. Eg. Steam under pressure Dry heat sterilisation Flash sterilisation

16. COMENSAL ORGANISM Organisms that normally live in specific sites of the body without invading the tissues or causing infection. They are harmless in their normal site but can cause infection when transferred to an abnormal site. Eg. Escherichia Coli aid absorption of nutrients in the intestine.

17. OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTION Are those which normally colonise the person’s body without causing illness, but become pathogenic when the person is susceptible. Eg. MRSA – Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus VRE – Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus

18. STANDARD PRECAUTIONS They apply to all patients and residents receiving care in health care facilities, regardless of their diagnosis or presumed infection status. Eg. Handwashing P.P.E. Correct disposal of linen, sharps, etc.

19. ADDITIONAL TRANSMISSION BASED PRECAUTIONS Are designed for residents you know or suspect to be infected with pathogens for which additional precautions are needed. They are always in addition to standard precautions. Eg. Airborne precautions Droplet precautions Contact precautions

20. WINDOW PERIOD Is the time between first infection and when a specific test can detect that infection, therefore an infected person or animal cannot be detected as infected but may still be able to infect others. Eg. HIV window period is 3 months.

21. INFECTION CYCLE • Causative organism – Staphylococcus • Reservoir – nose • Mode of escape – Sneezing • Mode of transmission – Droplet • Mode of entry – on hands of nurse giving care • Susceptible host – wound

22. Conditions favouring growth of bacteria • Moisture • Nutrients • Correct temperature • Oxygen • Correct Ph • Darkness

23. SUSCEPTIBLE HOSTS • The elderly • Those undertaking invasive procedures • Those taking immune-suppressing medication • Those with wounds • Those with poor cough reflex.

24. IDENTIFY WAYS INFECTION CAN BE SPREAD • Contact – direct or indirect • Droplet – sneezing, coughing, talking or suctioning • Airborne – via air current, sweeping, shaking out linen • Transmission based vectors – animals (rats, birds, dogs, cats) or insects (mosquito, flies, ticks)

25. IDENTIFY WAYS YOU CAN BREAK THE INFECTION CYCLE • USING STANDARD PRECAUTIONS – hand washing, wearing PPE, correct disposal of contaminated items. • USING TRANSMISSION BASED PRECAUTIONS – single rooms, separate ventilation, single use or individual utensils, limiting numbers of visitors.

26. HAND WASHING PRACTICAL