Health and Social Care: Infection Prevention and Control - Coursework Example

 Infection prevention and control Task 1 (P1) Understanding the cause and spread of infection Germs are the microscopic living bodies, being always present in the atmosphere. Many microorganisms cause infection. These germs can spread infection quickly, particularly in children who play together and do not have fully developed immune system. There are four types of such microorganism, as detailed below: Bacteria These are part of daily human life, as they reside inside the body and spread outside in atmosphere as well. Most of the bacteria are not harmful. However, the harmful bacteria can cause infections like whooping cough (pertussis), streptococcal infection resulting in sore throat and meningococcal diseases. Fungi Fungi microorganisms develop in mushrooms, yeast, moulds, as they would like to stay in damp and warm places. Many fungi do not pose much threat to human life, like mushrooms and yeast. However, there are some that can cause fungal diseases like athlete’s foot (tinea pedis), ring worm (tinea corporis) and thrush ( candida) Viruses They require a host for growth and reproduction, which must be a living cell and can develop outside the human body. However, when viruses enter the human bodies, they start multiplying themselves and in turn cause diseases like common cold, chicken pox (vericella), measles, gastroenteritis and flu, among others. Protozoa They cause water borne diseases, as they require moisture to thrive. These diseases include intestinal infections like diarrhea, stomach upset and nausea. They also can cause diseases like Giardia and cryptosporidium, among others. Spread of infection As the infection is spread through a chain, it starts by human body picking up the infection from environment or from an infected person. The spread of this germ can be through the contamination of a surface with infected blood, saliva, urine. The spread of these germs is also possible through airborne tiny particles, fauna and flora. The chain ends with the entry of such germs into another human body through eyes, nose, mouth, breath or genitals. Several precautions can help in minimizing the spread of infection. For example, in a hospital or medical care environment certain decontamination techniques are helpful. These include washing hands with disinfectant liquids, after touching any contaminated equipment. In addition, mobiles, laptops and other devices also carry the danger of spreading infection. Hence, it is essential to keep them away from the infected area, while decontaminating them, whenever necessary. The mobility aids and furniture must be regularly sprayed with an effective disinfectant. All instruments, which are used for invasive investigation and techniques, need sterilization after every use. In addition, it is important to use only “one-time usable syringes” that must be thrown in garbage after each use. This is particularly important for health care environments of developing countries in Asia and Africa. As certain infections are passed though urine and human stool, toilets need disinfecting on vigorous and regular basis. All concerned, particularly the health care paramedical staff, should be well aware of these precautions and their importance in stopping the spread of infection. Accordingly, organizational procedures must include proper training to ground level staff for this purpose. Common ways of infection spread include leaving droplets into the air or surface, when an infected person sneezes. Such infection can spread through air currents, air conditioner ventilators, as an infected person coughs or breathes. Touching toys, door handles, toilets, bedding, contaminated through the previous contact by an infected person, can cause the spread of such germs.(What causes) Task 2 (P2) Explaining growth and spread of pathogenic microorganism Pathogens are organisms that cause several diseases. The spread of pathogens is through fungi, airborne or contact. The microbial pathogens include virus, bacteria and protozoa. In case of bacterial infections, the human body gets the disease when the body’s immune system fails to throw away the bacteria that have come from outside sources. An example of bacterial infection, which cannot be driven away by the human body’s active immune system, is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an infection in lungs caused by cystic fibrosis. The bacterial pathogens can be of three types. The obligate pathogens always cause disease during transmission from one body to another. The opportunistic pathogens may not cause disease when such transmission takes place. The third category falls into the accidental pathogens that may cause disease only sometimes. Spread of pathogens Pathogens take different routes to transmit the infection. While flue-causing pathogen is transmitted through air via sneezing or coughing, the pathogen like Escherichia coli is transmitted only through water or blood. An example for transmission of pathogen through air is the bacterium that causes Antrex. As it takes the form of a spore, which can float into the air current easily, this pathogen goes into the human body through the process of inhaling and quickly multiplies in the lungs. Anthrax can cause severe breathing problems that can prove fatal as well. Viral pathogens spread through water and the contaminated water causes diseases like cholera and diarrhea. The symptoms include dehydration of the patient and nausea. In addition, microbial pathogens spread through food, as many microbes like virus, bacteria and protozoa reside and multiply in the intestinal tracts of many creatures and human body. The following diagram shows the stages of progression of disease caused by pathogens in human bodies. (Source: http://www.med.uottawa.ca/sim/data/Infection_spread_e.htm ) Task 3 (P3) Precautions necessary to prevent spread of infection As prevention is better than cure, the following standard precautions help in minimizing the spread of infections. Hands cleaning Hand hygiene is necessary after touching the contaminated items, body fluids, blood and secretions. Hands must be washed even after removing the gloves, to avoid the transmission of infection from one person to another. While operating on a patient, it may be necessary to wash hands with soap and water between different stages to avoid passage of infection from one body part to another. Covering hands with gloves is essential when preparing to touch any contaminated body part, blood, mucous membranes. After such contact is over, hands must be washed using proper disinfectants. Pathogens will not stop spreading when an already used glove is used again after washing it. Hence, it is necessary to use new gloves always. Proper dress Medical professional require wearing gowns and other such dresses to stop the contamination of environment in sensitive places like Operation Theater. In addition, the use of PPE to protect the membranes of nose, eye and mouth during any healthcare activity is essential. This is particularly true for activities that can generate secretions, blood sprays and body fluids. In addition to the above, it is necessary to adopt preventive measures when handling patients in hospitals. While transporting the patient for any medical investigation, care must be taken to cover the contaminated part of the patient’s body. Similarly due precautions must be taken to place the critical patients in hospital rooms with minimum possibility of contaminating the surrounding environment. Accordingly, it is advisable that patients with acute infection be kept in a single room, isolated from others, to avoid spread of infection. This is particularly essential for the air borne and viral pathogen causing infections.(Precautions, 2014) Task 3 (M1) Managing outbreak of infection in a healthcare setting When two or more infections occur simultaneously and the number of patients infected by them increase abnormally, it can be defined as an outbreak. Accordingly, it is essential to recognize the outbreak and its potential immediately for taking the required preventive measures. In this direction, the awareness of health care staff is necessary to look for symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, particularly in the elderly and children who have less immunity. In addition, the communication channels for reporting the symptoms of outbreak to senior management should ensure immediate surveillance and prevention of the disease from infecting others. In places like old age care homes, a documented plan to counter the outbreak always helps to tackle the situation effectively. This plan must detail the actions required for managing the outbreak. As the communication channels play an important role in management of an outbreak, these must include communicating to care providers, family of patients, GPs and Environmental Health department, especially in case of food related infection outbreak. Taking immediate action in various directions helps tackling the outbreak in an efficient manner. For example, in care homes, infected residents must be isolated, messages must be sent across all sections of the care home for observing respiratory and hand hygiene by staff, residents and visitors. Further action includes enhancing necessary cleanliness precautions, identification of new suspects and taking immediate necessary control measures. In such care homes further admissions should be stopped and infected staff needs remaining absent from the work. Further, it is essential to delay visits by service providers coming from outside until the infection is effectively controlled. A recorded documentation of the patients’ case history helps in effective management of the future outbreaks. Maintaining a centralized database for keeping such records always helps. In addition, the awareness program must include printed documents that list the advice and steps needed to prevent and control the infection. All concerned including visitors, staff and patients should easily understand it, for effective flow of information. Additional resources like more laundry items, additional staff and funds will be needed to manage the outbreak effectively. Once the outbreak has subsided, it is essential to investigate into the root causes of the outbreak. This needs retrospective review of the event that caused the outbreak and pondering over its causes. Based on such findings, solutions need to be developed and forwarded to staff for future preventive action. (Prevention and Control, 2013) Task 4 (P4) Legislations governing infection prevention and control sections Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 lays down the general guidelines for the employees and employers’ duties. The Act also provides guidelines for the establishment of Health and Safety Commission and executive along with their regulations and approved codes. The Act provides details on the enforcement of these regulations through prohibition notices and health inspectors. Management of Health and Safety at Work Act (amended 1994) relates to the employee protection from infections and contagious diseases, along with the level of infection exposure to an expectant mother. The Act provides guidelines on protection of such expectant mothers from hazardous infections. The Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations (Department of Health 1995) explains the required safety measures for controlling the spread of infections caused by food. These measures include regulations on the layout and design of food outlets, hand washing and toilet facilities available along with washbasins and ventilation outlets required for proper food safety. There must be adequate changing facilities for staff and proper drainage and lighting facilities with sufficient natural lighting in the premises. These guidelines prescribe specific requirements for the food rooms, where food processing and preparation takes place. All floors, walls and other surfaces in contact with the food must be cleaned and disinfected regularly. Food eatery managers must ensure that ceilings do not throw dirt or dust on the floor or food containers. Windows and doors must be cleaned and disinfected regularly. In addition, there must be adequate facilities of running hot and cold water to clean the utensils, while tools and other equipment used in food rooms should be disinfected regularly. (Food Safety, nd) The purpose of The Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 is to ensure that producers of waste manage the waste disposal in an effective manner, which may not cause any health hazard. Citing the problems arising out of using fly tippers, these guidelines ensure that only those concerned with the waste disposal and management are authorized to handle the waste. This eliminates the problem of unauthorized waste disposal teams that pose as fly tippers to do the required job. These guidelines called “duty of care” regulations 1991 have been enforced from April 1, 1992. (Environmental ) Task 5 (P5, M3, D2) Roles and responsibilities The registered owner of any health care facility like a care home must ensure that the environment is safe and clean for all concerned including staff, visitors and residents. These responsibilities must meet the health and safety guidelines set by the government for this purpose. The registered manager must ensure that documentation and facilities required for infection and prevention control in the particular health care setting is always available. Based on these facilities and the advice of a qualified healthcare worker, the manager must produce an annual report on the system in place for prevention and control of infection along with the monitoring details of the same. Such report should contain details of education provided to staff, risk assessment, infection control audits, record of previous breakouts and regular policy updates for guidance to staff. Risk assessment While electric and other equipment as well as chemicals can cause harm, they have the potential of turning into a risk. In order to comply with the government regulations and protect the staff as well as residents, it is essential to carry out periodic risk assessments. As all risks have the potential to explode, the regular simple daily measures like maintenance of cleanliness cannot control all the risks. Accordingly, a careful examination of the causes that can trigger infection outbreak is called the risk assessment. The risk assessment measures in an old age care home include identification of hazards like spread of gastrointestinal and other infectious viruses, assessing the possible people who might remain vulnerable to such risks, taking precautions after evaluation of the risk and finally recording and communicating the findings. The risk assessment must include the implementation measures while reviewing and updating the same. Contribution of risk assessment As risks are both known and unknown, the proper risk assessment always helps in minimizing the harm caused by the particular risk. Hence, risk assessment and management is essential. The outbreak of an infection can be largely controlled if the preventive measures are taken, considering the previous records of such outbreaks. These records provide necessary information required to prevent the happening of the risk and deal with the situation, in case of an outbreak. For example, the proper documentation and periodic risk assessment would help in updating the staff on the required guidelines for being vigilant towards any incident of infection reported from the care home. In addition, the open communication channels among all levels of staff and owner with regard to the risk assessment measures help in avoiding the situations like dangerous outbreak of an infection. (Prevention and Control, 2013) Task 4 (M2) Organizational procedures The organization managing the health care facility should designate a responsible person like head nurse or a medical director, who must ensue that all required measures are undertaken within the facility. Such an executive lead must ensure the following: While commissioning healthcare provision services, all infection control and prevention measures are considered. All contracted organizations participating with the health care facility have agreed to required infection control measures in their agreements. Infection control topics are always on the board meeting agenda, whenever a discussion is required on the same. Due Budgetary support and control is available, to avoid last minute panic. The organization should always promote the ongoing improvement in the infection control measures, which must meet the periodic guidelines under the government health care standards. Works Cited Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1991 , nd, wastecare.co.uk Retrieved from: http://www.wastecare.co.uk/regulations/environmental-protection-duty-of-care-regulations-1991/ Food Safety Regulations 1995, nd. adlib.everysite.co.uk/ Retrieved from: http://adlib.everysite.co.uk/adlib/defra/content.aspx?id=000HK277ZX.0BE1572UQUY1N9 Precautions to Prevent Spread of MRSA in Healthcare Settings. (2014) cdc.gov Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/healthcare/clinicians/precautions.html Prevention and Control of Infection, (2013). Department of Health UK. publications. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214929/Care-home-resource-18-February-2013.pdf What Causes Infections?, (2013). Staying Healthy, 5th edition, nhmrc.gov.au. Retrieved from: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/ch55c_what_causes_infections_info_sheet_130701.pdf Read More