2. HOSPITAL INFECTION
Hospital infection is also called
nosocomial infection or hospital-
acquired infection. The English word
‘Nosocomial’ is derived from the
Greek word Nosokomeion meaning
“hospital”.
3. Hospital infections can result in
severe pneumonia & infections of
the urinary tract, bloodstream &
other parts of the body.
Many types are difficult to attack
with antibiotics, & antibiotic
resistance is spreading to gram-
negative bacterial that can infect
people outside the hospital.
4. Injurious contamination of body or
parts of the body by bacteria, viruses,
fungi, protozoa or by the toxin that
they may produce.
or
Infection may be local or generalized
and spread throughout the body.
5. Factors predisposing a patient to infection
can broadly by categorized into:
Invasive devices, for instance
intubation tubes, catheters, surgical
drains, & tracheostomy tubes, all
bypass the body’s natural lines of
defence against pathogens & provide
an easy route for infection.
6. There areas in the hospital carry a greater
risk:
Intensive care unit.
Dialysis unit.
Organ transplant unit.
Burns unit.
Operation theatres.
Delivery rooms.
Post-operative wards.
7. Hospitals have sanitation protocols regarding
uniforms, equipment sterilisation, washing, &
other preventive measures.
Thorough hand washing and/ or use of alcohol
rubs by all medical personnel before & after
each patient’s contact is one of the most
effective ways to combat nosocomial infections.
Prevention is better than cure. If something is
not cured, it must be prevented.
8. Control in Hospitals
Standard Precautions
1. Hygienic Hands
9. 2. Personal Protective Equipment
Put on gloves
Put on a gown
Put on a facemask
Put on eye protection
10. 3. Injection Safety
Sharp precautions:
i) Needle stick and sharp injuries carry
the risk of blood born infection e.g AIDS,
HCV,HBV and others.
ii) Sharp injuries must be reported and
notified
iii) Never To Recap Needles
11. iv) Dispose of used needles and small sharps
immediately in puncture resistant boxes (sharp
boxes).
v)Sharp boxes: must be easily accessible, must
not be overfilled, labelled or colour coded.
vi) Needle incinerators can be another safe way
of disposal.
vii)Reusable sharps must be handled with care
avoiding direct handling during processing.
12.
13. Standard procedures & recommended
practices for cleaning & disinfecting
compounding areas (e.g., pharmacy
settings) & the handling transporting,
& disposing of antineoplastic agents
should be determined in conformity
with local, state, & federal authorities,
including state board of pharmacy.
16. 1. Contact Precaution
Apply to patients with any of the following
conditions and/or disease:
1. Presence of stool incontinence (may
include patients with norovirus, rotavirus,
or clostridium difficile), draining wounds,
uncontrolled secretions, pressure ulcers, or
presence of ostomy tubes &/or bags
draining body fluids.
17. 2. Presence of generalized rash.
3. Prioritize the placement of patients in an
exam room if they have stool incontinence,
draining wounds &/or skin lesions that
cannot be covered, or uncontrolled
secretions.
4. Perform hand hygiene before touching
patient & prior to gloves.
19. Apply to patients known or
suspected to be infected with a
pathogen that can be transmitted by
droplet route; these include, but are
not limited to respiration viruses
(e.g., influenza, parainfluenza virus,
adenovirus,human
metapneumovirus).
20. Place the patient in an examination room
with a closed door as soon as possible
(prioritize patients who have excessive
cough & sputum production), if an
examination room is not available, the
patient is provided a facemask & placed in
a separate area as far from other patients
as possible while awaiting care.
21.
22. 1. Provide a facemask (e.g., procedure or
surgical mask) to the patient & place the
patient immediately in an examination
room with a closed door.
2. Instruct the patient to keep the facemask
on while in the examination room, if
possible, & to change the mask if it
becomes wet.
23. 3. Initiate protocol to transfer patient to a
health care facility that has the
recommended infection-control capacity
to manage the patient properly.
24. The three main areas for the
infection control programme are
as follows:
1. Development of surveillance
system
2. Development of policies &
procedures
3. Continuing medical programme
25. Development of surveillance system: surveillance
means that the observed data are regularly
analysed & reported to those who are in position
to take appropriate actions. The surveillance
system will establish a database, which will give
endemic rates of hospital infection.
26. Development of policies & procedures:
These policies & procedure are useful in
decreasing the risk of hospital infection.
27. Continuing medical programme: The
medical & paramedical staffs are
enrolled in the CME for the updated
knowledge in hospital infection.
28. The objectives are as follows:
1. Stressing the maintenance of sound habits in
personal hygiene & individual responsibility in
infection control.
2. Monitoring & investigating infectious diseases,
potentially harmful infectious exposures, &
outbreaks of infections among personnel.
29. Providing care to personnel for
work-related illness or exposures.
Identifying infection risks related
to employment & instituting
appropriate preventive measures.
30. Containing costs by eliminating
unnecessary procedures & by
preventing infectious disease that
results in absenteeism &
disability. For these objectives to
be met, the support of the
administration, medical staff, &
other hospital staff is essential.
