NUR 3028: Infection Control, Nursing Process, and Surgical Asepsis

infection - the invasion of a susceptible host by pathogens or microorganisms, resulting in disease Colonization - the presence and growth of microorganisms within a host but without tissue invasion or damage communicable disease - the infectious process transmitted from one person to another symptomatic - clinical signs and symptoms are present asymptomatic - clinical signs and symptoms are not present Patients at greater risk for HAIs - - Multiple illnesses - Older adults - Poorly nourished - Compromised immune system Types of HAIs - iatrogenic, exogenous, endogenous Iatrogenic - from a procedure exogenous - from microorganisms outside the individual (ie someone coughs in your face) endogenous - when the patient's flora becomes altered and an overgrowth results (poor diet, stress, antibiotics, etc) Chain of infection - infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host infectious agent - pathogen (bacterial, viral, fungi, viruses) bacteria - -single cell organisms that live as normal flora -named by shape -classified by +/- oxygen, staining qualities -have different shapes, sizes, growth patterns, means of replication -capable of causing disease when they overgrow as a result of immune system compromise or when they enter different areas of the body Viruses - -smallest microorganisms -not killed by antibiotics -reproduce inside living host cells -medications focus on decreasing amount of time patient has symptoms when given in the early phase (i.e. Tamiflu to treat influenza) Fungi - -single-cell organisms that can cause infection -present in air, soil, water -examples: athlete's foot and yeast infections -treatment: antifungal medications Parasites - -organisms that live on or in other organisms -examples: protozoa (cause malaria), helminths (intestinal worm infections), anthropods (skin and systemic disease transmission as in malaria) Source of infection - reservoir or host (can be inanimate objects, humans, animals) portal of exit - the means by which the pathogen escapes from the reservoir of infection (ie emesis, sputum, urine, stool, blood, genital secretions, wound drainage) Mode of transmission - a way that the infectious agent can travel from the source to the susceptible host Contact (mode of transmission) - junction of body surfaces with other bodies or objects Examples: MRSA, VRE, Cdiff, drug resistant organisms -direct: contact w/ infected person indirect: contact w/ contaminated object airborne (mode of transmission) - microorganisms dispersed by air, then inhaled or deposited (examples: TB, measles, chickenpox) -smaller organisms droplet - mucous membranes of respiratory tract are exposed to secretions of infected person (examples: influenza and RSV) -larger organisms Vector borne - carry pathogens from one host to another (NEED host) examples: Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, West Nile virus, and viral encephalitis