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21 Dec Infection Control: Breaking the Chain of InfectionPosted at 18:15h in All Settings The healthcare industry is constantly changing. New infectious diseases are discovered and, thanks to human ingenuity in terms of innovative research, new treatments and vaccines are created. Although infections are different from one to the next, the chain of infection explains how infectious diseases spread in general and can help prevent them from spreading. Understanding how the chain of infection works in a healthcare setting is the first step towards breaking it. The next step is implementing infection control education to learn about the chain of transmission related to infectious disease, why it’s important, and how you can actually break it. The Chain of Infection ExplainedThe chain of infection outlines the conditions that foster the spread of infectious disease. To understand how to break the chain of infection, we must first understand the intricacies of the links in the chain. The chain of infection can be detailed in six steps:
What is Infection Control?According to the CDC, infection control prevents or stops the spread of infections in healthcare settings. Infection control is absolutely essential to a safe healthcare setting. The nature of the healthcare setting makes all patients and workers vulnerable to infection. The scientific and practical solutions that infection prevention and control are based upon aim to decrease that vulnerability and protect our communities. Infection control procedures are based on infectious disease knowledge, epidemiology, and social science. Why is Infection Control Important?The procedures are designed to reduce the risk of infections associated with hospital stays and promote a safe and healthy care environment. Approximately 1 in 31 people die from a — usually– preventable death had proper infection control practices been followed. Because of this, healthcare facilities hire infection preventionists to minimize accidental and unnecessary infections. How to Break the ChainThe best way to break the chain of infection is to break one or more of the links to prevent spread or transmission. If left unchecked, some infections spread quickly through the chain and grow beyond control. The CDC describes two tiers of recommended precautions against this vicious chain of infection that promotes infectious disease spread. By following these precautions, you can break the chain. Standard Precautions for All Patient CareStandard precautions are the first tier of infection prevention and control. They’re used for all patient care and are based on risk assessment, common sense, and PPE use. The standard precautions are:
Transmission-Based PrecautionsTransmission-based precautions are the second tier of basic infection prevention and control. These are meant to be used in addition to first-tier precautions for patients who may be infected with a certain microorganism whose infection prevention requires extra care. There are three different types of transmission-based precautions: Contact precautions are for patients with infections that have a high risk for contact-transmission. The chain of contact-based infections can be broken by following these measures:
Droplet precautions are for patients with infections that show a high risk for transmission by respiratory droplets. The chain of respiratory-based infections can be broken by following these measures:
Airborne precautions are for patients with infections that show a high risk for airborne-transmission. The chain of airborne-based infections can be broken by following these measures:
Protect Those Around YouBasic infection control practices are simple, effective, and mostly common sense. By taking these practices seriously and enforcing the right precautions, many lives can be saved in and outside healthcare settings. The general population can even use these bits of advice that have been outlined to promote public health. If your healthcare facility is looking for an infection control consultant to partner with, visit our website to learn more and get in touch. Which of the following is designed to reduce the risk of transmission of micro organisms from both recognize and unrecognized sources of infection in healthcare facilities?Standard precautions are meant to reduce the risk of transmission of bloodborne and other pathogens from both recognized and unrecognized sources. They are the basic level of infection control precautions which are to be used, as a minimum, in the care of all patients.
Which of the following is the most important procedure in the prevention of disease transmission and healthcare institutions?Hand hygiene is the most important measure to prevent the spread of infections among patients and DHCP.
Which action is the best precaution against transmission of infection?Hand hygiene is considered one of the most important infection control measures for reducing the spread of infection. Hand hygiene is a general term that refers to any action of hand cleansing, such as handwashing or handrubbing.
What are the 4 types of precautions?Infection Control and Prevention - Transmission-based precautions. Contact Precautions. ... . Droplet Precautions. ... . Airborne Precautions. ... . Eye Protection.. |