Please check out my VOKI before checking out the rest of my blog.
Bloggers remember this from my first blog? This is what needs to be broken in order to prevent the spread of infection. In my previous posts some of my videos talked about some of this but here is were we are going to put it all together. Theses thing can protect you, your patients, and everyone. So let's get on with the show starting with the # 1 most preventive thing we can do.
Our patients are coming into the hospital sicker
and are staying longer and some have long term
disabilities. This increases their chance of
resistance to microorganisms. In 2006, WHO, estimated
that more than 1.4 million people worldwide developed nosocomial
infections due to poor hand washing or no hand washing.
These included but not limited to UTI's,
surgical wound infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia. In the United States, we have seen crude mortality rates ranging from
12-80% (WHO, 2009).
Yes, bloggers patients die because of poor
hand washing .
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| I think we need to rethink our habits on hand washing. |
Universal precautions refers to the practice of avoiding contact with a person's blood or body fluids. These precautions are designed for all who might come in contact with patients. Universal precautions include the use of some or all of the following Personal Protective Equipment or PPE's depending on the purpose or amount of contact you have with the patients and their conditions (CDC, 2007).
General PPE include:
- Gloves - Sterile/non-sterile, must be worn when having direct contact with patients, ie blood draws, bathing.
- Gowns - Sterile/non-sterile, depending on patient's condition
- Masks - Includes general masks or N 95 mask for airborne precautions.
- Eye ware/face shields - usually worn in the operating room or during invasive procedures.
Types of Isolation Precautions in addition to Universal Precautions:
Contact Isolation: Most common type of isolation- protects against MRSA, VRE, & C-Diff.
Gown and gloves required at all times. Visitor's must report to nurses station before entering the patient's room. Patients should be placed in a private room but if they must cohort in a semi-private room organisms must match MRSA & MRSA, VRE & VRE. If patients have C-Diff, to cohort they must be in the same stages of the illness - Check with Infection control before cohorting any patients.
Droplet Isolation: Protects against RSV, MRSA pneumonia, & Flu - Gown, gloves and an standard isolation mask must be worn at all times. If contact with secretions, use eye wear or mask with a shield. Visitor's must report to nurse's station before entering patient's room. These patients are in private rooms.
Airborne Precautions: Protects against Tuberculosis, Measles, Chicken Pox & Disseminated Shingles - These patient are on strict isolation requiring a negative pressure room. This room allows for ventilation that generates negative pressure to allow air into the isolation room but not escape from the room (Wikipedia, 2014).This usually has two rooms where the patient is in the most inner room and an outer room for getting dressed before entering and undressing before leaving the room. Gown, Gloves and a N95 mask and in some a hood shield is worn. Visitor's are limited.
Summary Chart:
So you see bloggers, it's a lot of information. In addition, your might want to check your facilities policy and procedure manuals on infection control. Also if you have any questions, contact your facilities infection control department. And remember Stay Safe and Be Informed!!!!
References:
The Center for Disease Control (2007). 2007 Guidelines for isolation precautions: Preventing transmission of infectious agents in a healthcare setting.
Retrieved from; http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/isolation/Isolation2007.pdf
World Health Organization (2009). Patient safety: Guidelines to hand hygiene in a healthcare setting. Retrieved from;http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241597906_eng.pdf
Wikipedia (2014). Negative pressure room. Retrieved from; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_room_pressure
