Infection Control Lecture Notes

Introduction to Infection Control

• Infection spreads easily in healthcare facilities due to proximity of infectious and susceptible individuals.
• Importance of infection control skills for preventing illness spread among patients and healthcare workers.

Microbes and Pathogens

• Microbes: Tiny organisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites) often not visible to the naked eye.
  • Some are harmless or beneficial.
  • Pathogens: Microbes causing illness.
• Infection: Illness caused by a pathogen.
• Communicable infection: Can be transmitted between people.

The Chain of Infection

• Six Key Conditions: Pathogen, Reservoir, Portal of Exit, Method of Transmission, Portal of Entry, Susceptible Host.
• Breaking the chain prevents disease spread.

Conditions in the Chain

1. Pathogen: Disease-causing microbe.
2. Reservoir: Place where pathogen lives (human/animal bodies, food, water, fomites).
3. Portal of Exit: Pathogen's exit route (respiratory, GI tract, skin, blood, urine).
4. Method of Transmission:
   • Direct: Close contact (touching, breathing contaminated air).
   • Indirect: Via fomites or vectors (mosquitoes, ticks).
5. Portal of Entry: Entry points (respiratory, GI tract, skin).
6. Susceptible Host: Individual with reduced defenses due to age, health, stress, or medical devices.

Breaking the Chain

• Eliminate reservoirs (e.g., clean bedpans).
• Secure exit portals (e.g., intact dressings).
• Dispose of contaminated items properly.
• Use PPE to block entry points.
• Maintain good health and immunizations.

Infection Control Methods

1. Medical Asepsis: Removal of pathogens via sanitation, antiseptics, disinfection.
2. Surgical Asepsis: Sterilization for procedures entering the body.
3. Barrier Methods: Use of PPE (gloves, masks, gowns).
4. Standard Precautions: Applied universally to prevent blood-borne pathogen spread.
5. Isolation/Transmission-Based Precautions: Used for specific disease transmissions (airborne, droplet, contact).

Hand Washing

• Most effective method against nosocomial infections.
• Steps: Short nails, warm water, soap, 10-15 sec scrubbing, drying with paper towel, avoiding recontamination.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Types: Mask, gown, eyewear, gloves.
• Use according to transmission risk.
• Must wash hands before and after using PPE.
• Proper sequence for donning and doffing to avoid contamination.

Standard Precautions

• Assume all patients might have blood-borne pathogens.
• Use PPE, proper disposal of sharps, cleanup of spills.

Isolation/Transmission-Based Precautions

• Airborne Precautions: For diseases like measles, TB, requiring a mask.
• Droplet Precautions: For diseases like influenza, requiring a mask within three feet.
• Contact Precautions: For diseases transmitted by touch, requiring barrier methods.

Psychological Considerations

• Ensure patients under isolation precautions do not feel alienated.
• Maintain patient dignity and provide frequent interaction to reduce loneliness.
• Balance infection prevention with empathetic patient care.