![]() ![]() For example:Salmonella and Shigella cause diarrheal illness upon ingestion of enoughorganisms. Pathogens: Microorganisms that nearly always produce disease. These organisms cause "trouble" when introduced intonormally sterile areas (like the bladder or bloodstream). Resident or Normal Flora: Those microorganisms that are constantly present onour bodies no amount of scrubbing will totally remove them (the skin cannot bemade sterile). Antisepsis(or handwashing and pre-op skin preparation) is the removal of transientmicroorganisms from the skin with a reduction in the resident flora. Transient: Transient microorganisms are easily picked up on hands, clothing,inanimate objects, etc., and are easily removed by handwashing and cleaning(physical removal of "germs"), antisepsis and disinfection. Sterile items should remain sterile protect the sterile field.All packages in that load need to be recalled. If not, report to Central Supply and do not use the item(s). When opening sterile packets, make sure the sterilization indicators are changed.When entering a sterile body cavity, skin antisepsis is needed with a skin antiseptic such as CHG or Betadine.Reserved for instruments and other objects that enter sterile parts of the body.Items must be thoroughly cleaned before sterilization can occur. It is achieved by autoclaving or by another sterilizationprocess. Sterilization: The highest level of asepsis is defined by the removal of allmicroorganisms. Then reapply a fresh layer of disinfectant and allow the area to remain wet for the contact time. Dirt and soil inactivate disinfectants, so clean the area first.Check the label for "contact time," the amount of time the item must remain wet with the disinfectant to "kill" most of the pathogens, usually 10 to 20 minutes.Use a sanitizer in food preparation areas. Phenols are toxic if ingested and may harm an infant. Do not use a phenol in food preparation areas or on an infant crib/bassinet. ![]() Use warm (not hot) water for mopping hot water may burn someone if splashed and may strip the wax on floors when a "quat" is used.Clean high-touch items with a disinfectant frequently (bed rails, door knobs, over-the-bed tables, faucet handles, phones, etc.).The most invasiveprocedures (entering a sterile body cavity) require sterile technique.ĭisinfection: Removal of most pathogens (or disease-causing organisms)by the use of friction (cleaning) and a use of a disinfectant. ![]() For example, taking a blood pressure requires only cleantechnique, while starting an IV requires sterile technique. The strictness (or level) of aseptic technique increases as you perform moreinvasive procedures. These includehandwashing, disinfection and sterilization. Practicing asepsis is a vital part of infection control practices.Handwashing, disinfection and sterilization are key parts of asepsis.ĭefinition: Aseptic technique can be defined as all the measures we take topurposefully reduce the number of microorganisms (germs) to an irreduciblenumber for the purpose of preventing transmission of infection. The first letter in our ABCs of infection control is "A", orasepsis. To protect yourself, you must consider allpatients to have an infectious disease or, in other words, universally apply thesame precautions to all body substances regardless of the source patient. The diagnosis may not be made until 2-3 days after admission,after several visits, until the patient is discharged or not at all (if theperson is an asymptomatic carrier). ![]() Even though at times some policies may seem to take too muchtime, if you consider the risks of not following these guidelines, you willrealize the importance of the measures to help protect you and provide a safeand healthy workplace.Ī person entering the hospital or clinic with an infectious disease, such asAIDS or hepatitis B, does not always have this condition diagnosed at the timeof admission. Knowing the hazards and following established guidelines andpolicies can reduce your and the patient's risk of transmission of infection.Safety guidelines are established for a reason - to protect you, the employeeand the patient. Infectious diseases may become a major health hazard to healthcare workersand patients. The ABCs ofinfection control are fundamental in preventing adverse events. In this article, we willdiscuss the three major components of Asepsis - handwashing,disinfection and sterilization - Body Hygiene - personal hygiene anddress code - and a Caring Attitude - a good sense of right and wrongessential to the practice of the ABCs of infection control. Practicing aseptic technique, good body hygiene and developing a caringattitude comprise the ABCs of infection control. ![]()
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