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USI - LK3HV89JDA

HLTHIR301C - Topic One HSC.

10.02.15 - Microbiology / Transmission of Infection.

What is infection control?
The prevention of transmission of infections from one person to another or from one surface or object to another.

Background:
Hospitalized patients are more at risk of developing infections.

Why?
- Patients already have an illness, there immunity is low.
- Surgery.
- Drugs (medication).
- Invasive procedures and devices (drip, sticking a needle where it doesn't need to be, breaking clean skin).

Background:

Microorganisms flourish in health care settings and with breaks in infection control procedues and practice along patients, weakened defence mechanisms, help set the stage for NOSOCOMICAL (catch a bug thats only in a hospitial) infection.

What is it?
Infections which are the result of treatments in a hospital or medical procedues.

Nosocomical Infections
Can:
- Length patients hospital stays.
- Increase morbility (diseases / infections )
- Increase mortality (death)
- Diagnosing and treating these infections, place intense pressure on health services and health care budget.
- Increase the amount of dressing for wound management.
- Cost of medications.
- Cost of physical function to the client.
- Mental anguish.
- Sick leave of staff.
- Cost of doctors having to visit.

Spreading Infections

The spread of infection requires: 3 main rules.
Rule #1
A source of infection microorganisms (germ you can only see through a microscope) or other infectious agents (at a sufficient level to cause infection).

Rule #2
A susceptible host.

Rule #3
A path for transmission of the infectious agent to the susceptible host.
e.g. - Hands.
- Money.
- Veg / Fruit.
- Stationary.
- Rain drops.
 
Infections may pass between any of these elements in either direction;

Health Care worker - Patient - Instruments and equipment

6 links in the chain of infection.
1. The Bug (pathogenic microorganisms)
2. Reservior (a home breeding ground)
3. Means of escape (way out)
4. Made of transmission (transport)
5. Means of entry (a way in)
6. Host suscebtility (a new home)

Chain of infections
- Each link must be presented for infection or colonisation to proceed.
- Breaking any of the links can prevent the infection.

1st link: Causative agent - The bug.
Microorganisms responsible for diseases include:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Fungi

The sources of an agent that can infect other people include:
- Clients that have an acute illness.
- Clients that are in the "window" or waiting period of an illness or disease, this is known as the incubation stage.
- People who are carriers of an infection but do not necessarily become sick.
- Normal flora from microorganisms.
- Contaminated such as; table surfaces, dirty medical equipment, comorcial medication due to broken packaging.

Bacteria
- Bacteria are among the oldest living organisms on eath, and are very small.
- Can only be seen through a microscope.
- Bacteria are commonly found in the ground water and in other living organisms.

In humans, certain types of bacteria can cause; *Can be treated with antibiotics.
- Tetanus
- Pnermonia
- Syphilis
- Tuberculosis
and other illnesses.

Antiseptics Sterilization and Disinfectants.
Can help prevent contamination and risk of infection from bacteria.

Viruses
A sub miscroscopic particle (ranging in size from 20-300nm) that can infect the cells of a biological organism.
Viruses can replicate themselves only by infecting a host cell.

Example;
Viruses cause seeral serious human, such as:
- AID's
- Influenza
- Rabies
- Ebola

Therapy is difficult for virual diseases as antibiotics have no effect on viruses and for antivirual drugs.
The best way to prevent virual diseases is with a vaccine, which produces immunity.

Fungi
Most fungi are largely invisible to the eye, living for the most part in soil, dead matter.
Reproduction is via. spores, often produced on specialised structures or in fruting bodies.
Yeast, mold and mushrooms are examples of fungi.

Example:
Several pathogenic fungi are also responsible for relativelly minor human diseases, such as: athletes food and ringworm.

17.02.15 - 2nd link reservior of infection.
A place to live!
This refers to the environment on which a microorgnism can survive and in some cases, multiply.
Inanimate objects, human beings and animals can all serve as reserviors, providing the essential requirements for a microorganims to survive at specific stages in it's life cycle.