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Infection Control

Infection The definition of infection is the process of bacteria or viruses invading the body or making someone ill or diseased. Modes of Transmission
Contact Direct Direct physical contact (body surface to body surface) between infected individual and susceptible host. Examples: Influenza virus; Infectious mononucleosis; chlamydia. Precautions: Hand hygiene; masks; condoms. Indirect Infectious agent deposited onto an object or surface (fomite) and survives long enough to transfer to another person who subsequently touches the object. Examples: RSV; Norwalk; rhinovirus; perhaps influenza. Precautions: Sterilizing instruments; disinfecting surfaces and toys in school. Droplet Via coughing or sneezing, or (in health care) during suctioning. Droplets are relatively large (>5 m) and can be projected up to about one metre. Examples: Meningococcus; influenza (though there is some debate); respiratory viruses. Precautions: Masks; cover mouth; stand clear. Noncontact Airborne Transmission via aerosols (airborne particles <5m) that contain organisms in droplet nuclei or in dusts. Can be spread via ventilation systems. Examples: TB; measles; chickenpox; smallpox (and maybe influenza: controversial, as more likely via droplets). Precautions: Masks; negative pressure rooms in hospitals.

Vehicle

A single contaminated source spreads the infection (or poison). This can be a common source or a point source. Examples a) Point source: Food-borne outbreak from infected batch of food; cases typically cluster around the site (such as a restaurant) b) Common source: The Listeriosis outbreak in Canada in 2008 was linked to a meat production facility in Ontario. It caused 20 cases across five provinces. Cases may be widely dispersed due to transport and distribution of the vehicle. Precautions: Normal safety and disinfection standards. Deliberate contamination of Tylenol in 1982 led to the use of tamper-proof containers for medicines.

Vectorborne

Transmission by insect or animal vectors. Example: Mosquitoes malaria vector, ticks Lyme disease vector. Precautions: Protective barriers (window screens, bed nets); insect sprays; culling animals.

Infection Control Includes all of the practices used to prevent the spread of microorganisms that could cause disease in a person. At home it is possible to reduce the risk of infection by promoting good personal hygiene, washing clothing, bedding and towels regularly, washing hands before preparing food and after going to the toilet and keeping the house clean. It is advisable to disinfect the kitchen and bathroom on a regular basis.

Your Body - Daily bathing is essential. Don't just assume that as long as you're not stinking, that you don't need to bathe. Take showers NOT BATHS. As warm and soothing as a bath is, you are literally laying in your own filth. If you truly desire a bath, take a shower first to get your body clean. That will minimize the

muck that will be left in the water during a bath. A clean body promotes infection control. Your Clothes - Wear clean and dry clothes. A clean body means nothing if your clothes are ridden with bacteria and germs. Clean and fresh clothes promote infection control.

Your Home - Two rooms in particular are your bathroom and kitchen surfaces. The bathroom for obvious reasons and the kitchen simply because that is where you are preparing food for consumption. Use bleach based toilet, bathroom and kitchen cleaners. Bleach KILLS bacteria! Get rid of any wood cutting boards you may have in your kitchen. You can scrub them but they will still have bacteria embedded in them. A synthetic vinyl or plastic one is easier to clean and it will not just LOOK clean, it will BE clean. Household Surfaces - Sure this is part of your home but it's very important. I'm sure you clean your kitchen table, coffee table and night stands but what about your computer keyboard, door knobs, the toilet flush handle, the television remote, or the microwave control panel? These are commonly touched things in your house. Some of them are touched more than others or are touched by far more different people than others but they all contain germs and some of then you've likely SELDOM or NEVER cleaned before. Clean those surfaces with a bleach based cleaner and/or spray them with Lysol. Lysol kills bacteria too and promotes infection control.

Hand Washing - Wash your hands! Wash your hands! Wash your hands! I can't say it enough. The number one cause of the spread of bacteria and other germs is lack of frequent and/or proper hand-washing. How long should I wash my hands? A good exercise in determining the proper time element is to sing

"Happy Birthday" two times. In the health-care profession, workers are trained to wash their hands before and after assisting each patient. It is said that if a busy CNA or nurse's hands and finger tips should look pruned like they just got out of the pool or washed the dishes. Good and frequent handwashing promotes infection control.

Importance of Infection Control We are always surrounded by bacteria and germs and these can sometimes contribute to the development and spread of infections. Infections can be potentially very harmful so it is important to try and control and prevent the spread of infection, especially in areas such as hospitals where patients are already ill and therefore susceptible to infection and in schools because children do not have fully developed immune systems and are consequently prone to illness.

Steps can be taken to control and prevent infections in a variety of settings, from the home to the hospital. In hospitals, members of staff are highly trained in the prevention of cross-infection and work to strict regulations. They also wash their hands on a regular basis, use alcohol hand gel, wear protective clothing, take special precautions when dealing with infected patients and dispose of waste in specific ways. At home it is possible to reduce the risk of infection by promoting good personal hygiene, washing clothing, bedding and towels regularly, washing hands before preparing food and after going to the toilet and keeping the house clean. It is advisable to disinfect the kitchen and bathroom on a regular basis.

References:
http://www.yourdictionary.com/infection http://www.jacksonhosp.com/jh.nsf/View/WhatPatientsandGuestsShouldKnowAboutInfectionControl http://voices.yahoo.com/infection-control-home-26574.html?cat=5 http://phprimer.afmc.ca/Part3-PracticeImprovingHealth/Chapter11InfectiousDiseaseControl/Modesandcontroloftransmission

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