Health & Safety at Work Module | | | By Brian Finn | | | Comprehensive Plan and Aims/objectives of survey. Plan The plan is to observe five members of the public washing their hands in a hospital Aims To observe peoples hand washing techniques to see if people are washing their hands correctly. Objectives By the end of the assignment the reader will be able to discuss the importance of hand washing, describe the risk of infection to patients and explain the importance of eliminating cross infection. Sufficient documentation/background information Hand washing is important to stop the spread of infection (see fig 1). On our hands we have normal bacterial skin flora which is found deep in the skins layer and under fingernails.
Hand washing is one of the most important ways of reducing and controlling the spread of infections. (Storr 2004). Good hand washing is the first line of defence against the spread. Hand washing is to remove pathogenic microorganisms. Transient microorganisms are found on nurse’s hand which unfortunately is the source of HAI; fortunately they can be removed when the nurses wash their hands.
HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA. HA-MRSA, hospital acquired MRSA, is the most common type of MRSA and is acquired by those who have been in the hospital or healthcare facilities like dialysis centers or nursing homes, those who have a compromised immune system, or have had invasive procedures such as artificial joints, surgeries or IV tubing. CA-MRSA is community acquired MRSA and is more common in wrestling teams, daycare workers, prison inmates, and areas where population is concentrated. Although, the two types of MRSA have clinical differences, they are both spread in the same way. MRSA is spread mainly by skin to skin contact, or through contract with infected items or surfaces.
Proper hand washing is the simplest yet most effective way to control disease transmission. You should always wash your hands before and after contact with a patient, even if you wear gloves. The longer the germs remain with you, the greater their chance of getting through your barriers. Although soap and water are not protective in all cases, in certain cases their use provides excellent protection against further transmission from your skin to other. If no running water is available, you may use waterless hand washing substitutes.
Especially when dealing with people who have a weakened immune system such as the elderly. Proper infection control can help reduce the spread of cold / flu, skin / wound infections, respiratory problems and allergies. Good practice of infection control can include: • Regularly disinfecting surfaces on a regular basis. • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth, wash hands frequently and applying alcohol or anti bacterial gel. • Do not share towels, face cloths ect with others.
Sexual transmitted infection II. Symptoms/sings C. Uncomfortable i. Size ii. Location D. Genital wart infection( HPV) In women & men iii. mouth and throat iv.
Patients who are very ill usually require intravenous (IV) antibiotics and admission to a hospital; they usually have a kidney infection (pyelonephritis) that may be spreading to the bloodstream. Other people may have a milder infection (cystitis) and may get well quickly with oral antibiotics. E. coli Enteritis E. coli enteritis is an inflammation of the small intestine, caused by infection with certain strains of E. coli bacteria. The diarrheal diseases caused by E. coli range from mild to life-threatening, depending on the specific type of E. coli bacteria involved. It is the most common cause of
Although it has become common knowledge that washing your hands is easiest way to eliminate bacteria, the task is often overlooked or underperformed. According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), hands should be washed after contact with body fluids, soiled linen, waste or contaminated equipment; after removing gloves; before and after performing clean or sterile procedures; between tasks on different body parts of the same resident; between resident contacts; and before and after eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics or preparing food. There was a research article entitled Scissors: An Infection Risk? The study was prompted to determine if non-dedication equipment such as scissors are contributing to healthcare associated infections (HAI) in the UK. HAI causes a financial burden on the hospital because the hospital stay required is 2.5 times longer and treatment is
When transmitted through sexual contact, the bacteria can infect the urinary and reproductive organs. The term Chlamydia typically refers to the STD Chlamydia trachomatis, although two other types of this bacterium also can lead to illness. Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics but often there are symptoms, so the disease can be unknowingly transmitted. Untreated Chlamydia infections can lead to more serious health problems, such as infertility. Therefore it is important for sexually active teens to be screened for Chlamydia at least yearly by a health care provider.
in Safe Patient Care Enhancing patient safety through improved surveillance N umerous studies have shown that hospital surfaces and frequently used medical equipment become contaminated by a variety of pathogenic and nonpathogenic organisms. The hands and gloves of healthcare workers readily acquire pathogens after contact with contaminated hospital surfaces and can transfer these organisms to subsequently touched patients and inanimate surfaces. The acquisition of nosocomial pathogens by a patient and the resultant development of infection depend on a multifaceted interplay between the environment, a pathogen and a susceptible host. In her article, Ms. Arias discusses several epidemiologically important pathogens that are common causes