5N3769: The Purpose of Standard Precautions is to Break the Chain of Infection: Palliative Care Assignment, OU,Ireland

Assignment 2

Introduction

The purpose of standard precautions is to break the chain of infection. Designed to reduce the risk of blood-borne and other pathogens from recognized and unrecognized sources, standard precautions are the work practices required to achieve a basic level of infection prevention and control. Implementation of standard precautions is vital in the prevention of transmission of infection to patients and staff.

Body

Micro-organisms like bacteria can survive and multiply rapidly on surfaces when they have the right conditions:

• Time
• Warmth (temperature)
• Oxygen (+/-)
• Raw Material (food)
• Moisture (Water)

A virus different than bacteria needs a host to survive and multiply. It can become inactive or die without a host.

The routes of transmission in a healthcare environment are:

• Contact (direct / indirect)
• Droplet (aerosolized droplets)
• Airborne (aerosolized droplets)

Hand hygiene is one of the single most effective measures for preventing the spread of infection and HCAIs. If it is done properly this can be over 90% effective in preventing the spread of harmful germs and HCAIs. Up to 70% (of some) HCAIs are preventable so hand hygiene is a very easy way to provide safer care.

When wearing gloves change or remove gloves in the following situations:

• During the care of a resident if moving from a contaminated body site to a clean body site
• after touching a contaminated site and
• before touching a clean site for the same resident or environment.

In no way does wearing gloves replace the need for hand hygiene either by handwashing or using an alcohol hand rub.

It is possible to use the same technique in principle for applying alcohol hand rub and hand washing to ensure that the product covers all parts of the hands.

The difference is:

• Alcohol hand rub: apply approximately 3-5 MLS and clean hands as per technique demonstrated
• Handwashing: wet hands, apply soap, clean all surfaces of the hands, rinse off and dry with paper towels