Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Learning Outcomes:
Explain the concepts of medical and surgical
asespsis
Identify signs of localized and systemic infections.
Identify the risks for nosocomial infections
Identify factors influencing a microorganisms capability to produce an infectious process
Identify anatomic and physiologic barriers that
defend the body against microorganisms
differentiate active from passive immunity
Microorganisms are defined as tiny, microscopic entities naturally present in the environment capable of carrying on living processes.
Two Types of Microorganisms
1. the non-pathogens that do not cause diseases
2. the pathogens that cause diseases.
Resident Flora: the collective vegetation of microorganism in a given part of the body,
yet can produce infection in another part.
Infection: an invasion of the body tissue by microorganisms and their growth there.
Infectious agent: A microorganism that produces an infection
Asymptomatic Infection: an infection that produces no clinical evidence of a
disease.
Disease: A detectable alteration in normal tissue function.
Virulence: a microorganisms ability to produce disease.
Opportunistic Pathogen: A pathogen that only produces disease on immunosuppressed
or suscelptible individuals.
Asepsis: the freedom from disease-causing microorganisms.
Aseptic Technique: strategies to decrease the possibility of transferring microorganisms
from one place to another.
Types of Infections
Colonization: the process by which strains of microorganisms become resident flora.
Local Infection: an infection that islimmited to the specific part of the body where the microorganisms remain.
Systemic Infection: if the microorganisms spread ad damage different parts of the body.
Bacteremia: When a culure of a persons blood reveals microorganisms.
Septicemia: When bacteremia results in systemic infection.
Acute Infections: infections that generally appear suddenly or last a short time.
Chronic Infections: occurs slowly, over a very long period and may last for months or years.
3. Airborne Transmission. It may involve droplets or dusts. Droplet nuclei, the residue
of evaporated droplets emitted by an infected host can remain in the air for long periods.
Likewise, dust particles containing the infectious agent can be transmitted by air currents
to a suitable portal of entry, usually the respiratory tract, of another person
Portal of Entry
Pathogens can enter the body through the same routes they use for exiting. The portals of entry includes body
orifices like the mouth, nose, ears, eyes, vagina, rectum or urethra. Breaks in the skin or mucous membranes from
wounds or abrasions increase chances for pathogens to enter the host.
Susceptible Host
A susceptible host is any person who is at risk for infection. A compromised host is a person at increased risk ,
an individual who for one or more reasons is more likely than others to acquire an infection. Impairment of the
bodys natural defenses and a number of other factors can affect susceptibility to infection.
Examples include age, (the very young and the very old), clients receiving immune suppression treatment for
cancer, chronic illness, or following a successful organ transplant; and those with immune deficiency conditions.
Incubation Period. Interval between entrance of pathogen into body and appearance
offirst symptoms. (e.g., chickenpox, 2-3 weeks; common colds, 1-2 days; influenza, 1-3
days; mumps, 18 days)
Prodromal Period. Interval from onset of nonspecific signs and symptoms( malaise, lowgrade fever, fatigue) to more specific symptoms. It is during this stage that the pathogens
grow and multiply so the person is more capable of spreading the disease to others.
Illness Period. Interval when the client manifests signs and symptoms specific to type of
infection (e.g., common cold manifested by sore throat, sinus congestion, rhinitis; mumps
manifested by earache, high fever, parotid and salivary gland swelling)
Convalescence Period. Interval when acute symptoms of infection disappear. The length
of recovery depends on the severity of infection and the clients general state of health.
Asepsis is the absence
of all disease-producing
microorg isms. Aseptic
technique is the effort to
keep a client free from
hospital
microorganisms.
The two types of asepsis are
medical and surgical
asepsis.
Medical Asepsis: or clean technique includes practices or procedures that reduee the
number and transmission of pathogens. Medical asepsis destroys organisms after they
leave the body. Medical asepsis protects the health care giver.
Surgical asepsis or sterile technique includes practices or procedures that destroy all
microorganisms and their spores.
Sterile technique is practiced in the operating room and treatment areas. In surgical asepsis, an area or object is considered contaminated if touched by any object that
is not sterile.
Surgical asepsis destroys organisms before they enter the body. Surgical asepsis
protects the client.
1. Sterilization
The process that destroys all microorganisms including spores and viruses using moist heat,
gas, radiation, chemicals and boiling water.
2. Donning and removing cap and mask.
For sterile surgical procedures in the operating room or delivery room, a cloth or paper cap
is worn over the head covering all the hair. A mask is also worn fitted snugly over the nose
and mouth to prevent droplet nuclei.
After a surgical procedure, remove gloves before removing mask and cap to prevent
contaminating the hair, neck and face. Untie the mask, hold it by the ties and discard it
with the cap.
3. Donning sterile gloves
There are two methods of donning sterile gloves : open and closed. Open gloving is usually
used when changing dressings and inserting urinary catheters. The closed method is
practiced in the operating room and special treatment areas.
Standard Precautions are to be used for all clients receiving care in hospitals without regard to their diagnosis
or presumed infection status. Standard Precautions apply to blood; all body fluids, secretions and excretions
except sweat, regardless of the presence of visible blood; nonintact skin; and mucous membranes.
Wash Hands (use plain soap)
Wash after touching blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions and contaminated items.
Wash immediately after gloves are removed and between patient contacts.
Avoid transfer of microorganisms to other patients or environments.
Wear Gloves
Wear when touching blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions and contaminated
items.
Put on clean gloves just before touching mucous membranes and non-intact skin.
Change gloves between tasks and procedures on the same patient after contact with
material that may contain high concentrations of microorganisms. Remove gloves
promptly after use, before touching non-contaminated items and environmental surfaces, and before going to another patient, and wash hands immediately to avoid
transfer of microorganisms to other patients or environments.
Patient Placement
Use a private room for a patient who contaminates the environment or who does not
(or can not be expected to) assist in maintaining appropriate hygiene or environmental control.
Consult Infection Control if a private room is not available.
In all aspects of patient care, the following principles should be observed to minimize the spread of microorganisms.
4. Microorganisms are released into the air on droplet nuclei whenever a person breathes
or speaks. Coughing or sneezing dramatically increases the number of microorganisms
released from the mouth and nose.
Avoid having a patient breathe directly into your face, and avoid breathing directly into a clients face.
5. Microorganisms move slowly on dry surfaces but very quickly through moisture.
For this reason, use a dry paper towel when you turn off faucets, and dry a bath basin before you
return it to a bedside stand for storage.
6. Proper hand washing removes many of the microorganisms that would be transferred
by the hands from one item to another.
Wash your hands not only when they are obviously soiled, but whenever you move from one client to
another or from patient contact to contact with the general environment or vice versa.
7. Blood-borne infections may be spread to another person by contact with items contaminated with blood and body substances that contain the blood-borne organism
through open wounds and vsores, nonintact mucous membranes, and penetrating
injuries.
Health care workers can protect themselves from these blood-borne infections by using precautions that
prevent contact with blood and body fluids that transmit
blood-borne pathogens.
Equipment:
Liquid I bar soap
Cloth or paper towels
Water
Equipment:
Package of proper-sized sterile
gloves.
12. Place the first two fingers of the bare hands inside
the cuff of the opposite glove.
Pull the second glove off the fingers and the first glove
by turning it inside out.
Wash hands each time gloves are changed between client contact
Wash hands each time gloves are removed because
a) the gloves may have imperfections or be
damaged during wearing allowing entry of microorganisms.
b) the hands may become contaminated
during removal of glove.