Infection and Cross-Infection - Case Study Example

Infection Control in Podiatric Practice It is true that a podiatrist has a legal obligation and duty of care to ensure that practice protocols protect service users and physicians from the risks of infection. Podiatric practice, just like any other medical practice, is judged solely on its ability to safely and successfully prevent the spread of infection before, during, and after treatment. This is among the podiatrists and the service users or clients. In order to have a successful prevention exercise, it is crucial for all those involved to focus on good hygiene practices in all the activities in the field. Globally, infection control is a changing area in medicine and medicinal practices. This is given the advancement in technology, the regulatory changes, and even microbial evolution (Simmers 2004, p. 67). This paper will try and examine some of the guidelines that reflect some of the best practices involved in preventing infection and cross-infection, and how these practices may set the target for infection control in podiatry. In order for the podiatric practice and practitioners to ensure safety among all service users and staff, it is vital for all the involved parties to have infection control principles that guide their everyday operations. These include work practices that have been adopted to achieve a specific level of infection control, which apply to the service users and staff. This is regardless of their perceived level of risk. By ensuring that standard precautions are properly conducted, it should be easier to ensure that all infections and their transmission can be prevented. Some of the standard precautions in the podiatric practice involve; proper hygiene practices, correct aseptic techniques, use of appropriate personal protective equipment, apposite protocols of waste disposal, and proper practices for cleaning and maintenance of the podiatric health center (Simmers 2004, p. 73). In any medical practice, hand washing may be the most crucial and important measure of infection reduction or minimization. The washing of hands must be done by the podiatrist and staff before and after the handling of any patient, or any activity that might increase the chances of risk infection. All hand washing amenities must be present in all consultation areas and these may include; hand basins and apt products that may not affect the outcome of the next patient consultation or meet (Kane, Schiefman & Vickers 1992, p. 37). The technique involved in hand washing also matters significantly, which involves; the duration and the quantity and type of solution used. Wearing of ornaments and/or jewellery in this practice may be a tad arguable, because there is always the question of whether there is an increased bacterial count where such materials are involved. Another effective infection control work practice is the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). This is by both the podiatrists and staff taking care of patients. The podiatrists should have operational and standardized material or equipment that meets the set requirements of their specific regions. The wearing of gloves is just an example of what podiatrists should have when there is potential for risk infection among the patients. Eye-wear and even face shields must be used if there is the possibility of spraying, splattering, and/or splashing of blood whilst operations are ongoing (Wallace 2010, p. 43). The masks worn are also a means of protecting the podiatrist from the risk of airborne contamination or infection, which may pose a threat to the person(s) operating on a patient. Furthermore, the clothing and skin should be protected at all times to avoid cross-infection and this can be done through the use of disposable plastic gowns. The disposal of waste in podiatric practice should or must comply with the regulations and standards of their respective states or territories. Waste should be identified, categorized, and segregated according to the manner in which it is often disposed. All facilities that generate waste are responsible for the safe and effective trail of that waste, until it is properly and well disposed. All podiatrists and their staff should be trained and equipped to ensure the safe and effective disposal of waste (Cavendish 2011, p. 82). This also includes the management of sharps that are often used in the clinical operations of a podiatrist. Failure to comprehend the recommended techniques may result in accidents in the operating room of the podiatric facility. The above mentioned infection controls are basic and are identified as minimum requirement by all the players involved in the medical field. Adhering to such requirements by the podiatrists and the staff can ensure that infections in the podiatric facility are kept at a minimum. It is the key players’ mandate to understand that this is their responsibility to their clients and service users, and therefore; must be at the frontline to ensure the risk of contamination and ultimately infection is eliminated. As times change, so do the practices in podiatric facilities. Technology is relied on more by staff and podiatrists in trying to provide the best care for different service users (Brooker & Waugh 2013, p. 53). However, this may also present a challenge to the people in this profession. This brings into focus the use of re-usable items and equipment in podiatric facilities. They must be reprocessed with regards to the levels of transmission of risk they possess to the different patients or service users they serve. Sterilisation is the use of physical or chemical agents to destroy or eliminate microbiological spores/life that may be present in the re-usable equipment. It is an essential part of clinical work practice for the sterilisation process to take place, especially with instruments or equipment that may break through the skin or any other membranes focused on during any podiatric procedure (Vincent 2010, p. 66). Thorough cleaning is vital, because if the debris or any residue is present in the equipment, the sterilisation process may be hindered. Equipment in podiatric practice should be sterilised by steam, which is considered to be the most effective way of sterilisation. Cleaning of equipment must be done to ensure that the risk of infection is minimised among the service users and staff. It should be done on a regular basis so as to maintain a healthy and safe environment. All the above mentioned standard procedures should be conducted when cleaning; equipment, surfaces, and all personal protective equipment used by the staff and service users. Podiatrists are tasked with the duty and responsibility of ensuring that their service users or clients receive the best care and protection while undergoing treatment (Robbins 1994, p. 56). This means that covering all the bases for a safe environment must be created through guided principles and procedures from the various manuals that exist to guide all players in this field. Records should be maintained of the cleaning tasks, the person(s) carrying out the tasks, and whether any faults were identified during the entire process. Strategic plans must exist to ensure that operations in a podiatric facility go on without hitches. These plans must be monitored to ensure that every aspect of the facility and its operations provide safety and quality care to their service users (Block 1988, p. 73). This means that a quality assurance department must be present in all the facility’s operations to monitor and assess all aspects of service provision. This can guarantee the continuous improvement of services, deterrence of dilemmas, and even satisfaction of service users. In their line of work or duty to service users and staff, podiatrists should observe, examine, and act on issues that surround the practice. This may work toward ensuring that the integrity of the practice is maintained, and that all the people involved are safe from any and all risks (Floyd & Mansmann 2007, p. 93). In conclusion, podiatrists and their practice are an important aspect of the medical field. As such, their actions must be able to reflect positively on the people they are meant to serve. These medical practitioners should be prepared to deal with the different aspects of their field, which requires protecting their service users and themselves from infection before, during, and after podiatric operations. They must develop infection control instruction booklets to prevent infection transmission, hence; protect and care for their service users (Carroll 2010, p. 49). References Block, BH 1988, Podiatric marketing and practice management, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Brooker, C & Waugh, A 2013, Foundations of nursing practice: fundamentals of holistic care, Elsevier Health Sciences, London. Carroll, R 2010, Risk management handbook for health care organizations, Hart Publishing, New York. Cavendish, M 2011, Diseases, disorders, and injuries, W. W. Norton, New York. Floyd, A & Mansmann, R 2007, Equine podiatry, PULP, London. Kane, P, Schiefman, BS & Vickers, NS 1992, Podiatric office management and procedures, Sspringer, London. Robbins, JM 1994, Primary podiatric medicine, Macmillan Publishers, New York. Simmers, L 2004, Health science career exploration, Macmillan Publishers, London. Vincent, C 2010, Patient safety, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Wallace, GF 2010, Clinics in podiatric medicine and surgery, Hart Publishing, London. Read More