Infection basics
What is our #1 prevention method of disease spread?
Hand hygiene
What are the 6 steps of the Chain of Transmission
Pathogen, Reservoir, Portal of Exit, Mode of Transmission, Portal of Entry, Susceptible Host
What are standard precautions?
Precautions that should be used on all patients. Considered hand hygiene and gloves.
What major medication classes are used to treat infections?
Anti-inflammatories, Antibiotics, Antifungals, Antivirals
What is a drug-resistant infection? Provide an example. Do these require additional PPE?
An infection that has built up a resistance to some antibiotics. VRE, MRSA, ESBL.
Precautions are dependent on the stage of the infection - active antibiotic resistant infections with the risk of spread (MRSA in an open wound) require contact precautions. Prior infections that are now healed stay on the patient chart but do not require additional PPE
Define Reservoir and provide examples
Where an infection can harbor and grow; where the organism can live and multiply
People, animals, soil, water source, food
What are contact precautions? When are they used? What PPE is required?
Used to prevent the spread of infection through contact or indirect contact. Require gloves and gown, sometimes shoe covers
Define sepsis. What are some symptoms of sepsis?
Systemic infection leading to an inflammatory response.
Fever, chills, confusion/altered mental status, tachycardia, hypotension, increased WBC, +blood cultures, inc RR
Define a Nosocomial infection.
An infection that was acquired from exposure to pathogens in a hospital or healthcare setting.
Define pathogen and provide examples.
Something that is going to cause an infection - the infectious agent.
Bacteria, virus, fungus, parasite
What are droplet precautions? When are they used? What PPE is required?
Prevent the spread of an infection through respiratory droplets. Used for infections where respiratory droplets fall to the ground within a few feet. Require gloves, goggles/face shield, mask, and gown.
What does SIRS stand for? What are some causes of SIRS? What are the symptoms of SIRS?
Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.
It is Systemic inflammation related to a major body insult or trauma. Infection, surgery, traumatic injury, malignancy.
Symptoms: fever, hypothermia/hyperthermia, tachycardia, Tachypnea, low or high WBC
Define infection.
A process by which an organism invades a host and establishes a parasitic relationship
Define Portal of Exit and Portal of Entry. Provide examples.
Exit: how the infection leaves the host; coughing/sneezing, bodily fluids, feces
Entry: how the infection enters a new host; mouth, nose, eyes, wounds
What are airborne precautions? When do we use them? What PPE is required?
Used to prevent the spread of infection in clients with airborne spread illness (small particles that do not fall to the ground within a small distance). Patient requires a negative pressure room. Requires N95 mask or PAPR, goggles or face shield, gown, gloves
What is MODS? What is the cause of MODS? What are the symptoms.
Multi-organ Dysfunction Syndrome.
Failure of 2+ major organ systems as a result of SIRS
Symptoms: kidney failure, altered mental status, respiratory deterioration, dec cardiac function, fluid/electrolyte imbalance, pale/clammy extremities, poor peripheral pulses, dec CO
What are 4 goals of nursing interventions for infection control?
Prevent infection, promote healing, decrease pain, and prevent complications
Define mode of transmission and susceptible host. Provide examples of each.
Mode of transmission: method by which a pathogen can move to a new host. Can be direct or indirect; directly contacting the pathogen (inhaling droplets from a sneeze), indirectly contacting it through an intermediate carrier, vector agents where infection can live
Susceptible host: someone who can catch an illness, theoretically anyone dependent on the disease; elderly, infants, immunocompromised are most at risk
What are neutropenic precautions? What PPE is required?
What are enteric precautions? What PPE is required?
Neutropenic: reverse precautions - protect the immunocompromised. Nurse wears gown, gloves, mask
Enteric: precautions for spore-borne illnesses (C.Diff). Use gown and gloves. Wash hands with soap and water. Use bleach to clean surfaces.
Define septic shock. What are the clinical manifestations? What are the treatments?
life-threatening condition caused by a severe septic infection. Leads to organ failure and profound hypotension.
Hypotension, altered mental status, chills, difficulty breathing, low urine output.
Treatment: oxygen therapy (mech ventilation in some cases), IV fluids, IV antibiotics, BP support medications