Hand Washing – considered one of the most effective infection control-measures.

Chain Of Infection:
- Etiologic agent (microorganism)
- Reservoir (source)
- Portal of exit from the reservoir
- Method of transmission
- Portal of entry to the susceptible host
- Susceptible host

Supporting Defense of a Susceptible host

- Susceptibility – is the degree to which an individual can be affected.
o Hygiene
o Nutrition
o Fluid
o Rest and Sleep
o Stress
o Immunization

Cleaning, Disinfecting and Sterilizing

- Interrupts etiologic agent and the reservoir
o Antiseptic (agents that inhibit the growth of some microorganism)
 Chemical preparation used on skin or tissue.
o Disinfectant (agents that destroy pathogens other than spores)
 Chemical preparation such as phenol or iodine compounds, used
on inanimate objects. More concentrated.
 Disinfectants are frequently caustic and toxic to tissues.
• Bactericidal – destroy bacteria
• Bacteriostatic – prevents the growth and reproduction of
some bacteria.
o Sterilization – process that destroy all microorganisms including spores
and viruses.
 Moist heat
• Steam under pressure – higher than boiling point.
Autoclaves 121-123C
• Free steam – 100C, 29mins on 3 consecutive days
 Gas – Ethylene oxide gas destroy microorganism by interfering
with their metabolic process.
 Boiling water – Practical and inexpensive method. 15mins.
 Radiation
• Ionizing - sterilize food, drugs, and other items sensitive to
heat.
• Nonionizing
o Ultraviolet light – not penetrate deeply.
ISOLATION PRECAUTION
Isolation – designed to prevent the spread of infections or potentially infectious
microorganisms to health personnel.
- Category-specific isolation precaution
o Strict isolation, contact isolation, respiratory isolation, tuberculosis
isolation, enteric isolation, drainage/secretion isolation, blood/body fluid
precaution.
- Disease-specific isolation precautions – provide precaution for specific disease.
o Private rooms with special ventilation
o Share room with same infections
CDC (1988):
1) Universal Precautions (UP)
– Techniques to be used with all clients to decrease the risk of transmitting
unidentified pathogens.
– Interfere with the spread of blood borne pathogens, those microorganisms carried
in blood and body fluid that are capable oh infecting other persons with serious
and difficult to treat viral infections.

2) Body-Substance Isolation (BSI)

- System employs generic infection control precaution for all clients except whose
with few diseases transmitted through the air.
- Includes: blood, body fluids, urine, feces, wound drainage, oral secretions, other
body product or tissue.

HICPAC Isolation (1996):

- Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee
1) Standard Precautions
- Used in the care of all hospitalized persons regardless of their diagnosis or
possible infection status. Apply to all body fluids except sweats, nonintact skin,
and mucous membranes, thus combine the features of UP and BSI.

2) Transmission-Based Precaution
- Used in addition to Standard Precautions for clients with known suspected
infections that are spread in one of three ways:
- Airborne Precaution – airbone droplet nuclei smaller than 5microns.
o Measles (rubeola), varicella, tuberculosis
- Droplet Transmission Precaution – particle droplets larger than 5microns.
o Pertussis, mumps, rubella, streptococcal pharyngitis, pneumonia, scarlet
fever
- Contact Precaution – transmitted by direct client contact.
o GI, Respi, Skin, Wound infx.

STERILE TECHNIQUE
- An object is sterile only when it is free of all microorganisms.
Sterile Field – microorganism-free area.