Chain of Infection
This link in the chain of infection refers to the place where microorganisms live and multiply, such as humans, water, or food.
What is a reservoir?
Redness, heat, swelling, pain, and loss of function are known collectively as these classic signs of the body’s response to infection or injury.
What is localized inflammation?
Patients with illnesses spread by large respiratory droplets, such as influenza, require these precautions.
What are droplet precautions?
According to the nursing care plan for infection prevention, the nurse should monitor for redness, warmth, swelling, and this common sign at a wound site.
What is drainage?
A patient with tuberculosis is admitted to the unit. The nurse should place the patient in a negative-pressure room and initiate these precautions.
What are airborne precautions?
This first link in the chain of infection is the microorganism that causes disease.
What is the infectious agent?
This type of infection occurs when a patient acquires an infection while receiving treatment in a health care facility.
What is a healthcare-associated infection (HAI)?
A patient with C. diff should be placed under these precautions to prevent transmission via direct contact.
What are contact precautions?
The nurse should use this technique when inserting a urinary catheter to reduce the risk of introducing microorganisms into the bladder.
What is sterile technique?
A patient hospitalized with pneumonia develops high fever, productive cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. The nurse recognizes the infection is in this stage.
What is the illness stage?
Hand hygiene is one of the best ways to break this mode of transmission in the chain of infection.
What is contact transmission?
A patient receiving chemotherapy is at increased risk for infection because this body defense mechanism is weakened.
What is the immune system?
This type of room is required for airborne precautions to prevent contaminated air from spreading to other areas.
What is a negative-pressure room?
When caring for a patient with a draining wound, the nurse should wear these to prevent exposure to infectious material.
What are gloves?
A nurse notices redness, warmth, swelling, and purulent drainage at an IV site. The nurse’s priority action is to suspect this complication.
What is a localized infection?
When a pathogen leaves the body through blood, respiratory secretions, or urine, it is using this link in the chain of infection.
What is the portal of exit?
A patient with poor nutrition and low protein intake is at greater risk for infection because this process becomes impaired.
What is tissue healing or immune function?
When caring for a patient on airborne precautions, the nurse should wear this type of mask.
What is an N95 respirator?
The nurse should place used needles and other sharp objects directly into this container to prevent accidental injury and transmission of infection.
What is a sharps container?
A nurse caring for an immunocompromised patient limits fresh flowers and standing water in the room to reduce exposure to this source in the chain of infection.
What is a reservoir?
A patient with a weakened immune system has increased susceptibility at this final link in the chain of infection.
What is the susceptible host?
This occurs when excess fluid accumulates in the interstitial spaces, often causing swelling in the tissues.
What is edema?
Before leaving the room of a patient on isolation precautions, the nurse should remove PPE in this location to reduce the spread of microorganisms.
What is before exiting the patient’s room?
To prevent contamination during a sterile procedure, the nurse should keep sterile supplies above this level at all times.
What is waist level?
A patient reports feeling unusually tired, has muscle aches, and a low-grade fever, but no specific diagnosis has been identified yet. The nurse recognizes the patient is most likely in this stage of infection.
What is the prodromal stage?