Infection Control for Health Care and Human Service Professionals

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Infection Control for Health Care and Human
Service Professionals

• Dr. BC Farnham Elizabeth Pugh, LBSW, CM

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Important Information

• This education program for healthcare
  professionals was developed by The Consortium for
  Advancements in Health and Human Services, Inc.
  (CAHHS) and is facilitated by Kindred at Home via
  a community education partnership agreement.
  CAHHS is a private corporation and is solely
  responsible for the development, implementation
  and evaluation of its educational programs.
  There is no fee associated with receiving contact
  hours for participating in this program titled,
  Infection Control for Health Care and Human
  Services Professionals. However, participants
  wishing to receive contact hours must offer a
  signature on the sign-in sheet, attend the entire
  program and complete a program evaluation form.
• The Consortium for Advancements in Health and
  Human Services, Inc. is an approved provider of
  continuing nursing education by the Alabama State
  Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the
  American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission
  on Accreditation.The Consortium for
  Advancements in Health Human Services, Inc., is
  approved as a provider of continuing education
  in Social Work by the Alabama Board of Social
  Work Examiners, 0356, Expiration
  Date 10/31/2016.
• In most states, boards providing oversight for
  nursing and social work recognize contact hours
  awarded by organizations who are approved by
  another state's board as a provider of continuing
  education.  If you have questions about
  acceptance of contact hours awarded by our
  organization, please contact your specific state
  board to determine its requirements. Provider
  status will be listed on your certificate.
• CAHHS does not offer free replacement
  certificates to participants. In the event that
  CAHHS elects to provide a replacement
  certificate, there will be a 20.00
  administrative fee charged to the individual who
  requests it.

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Learning Objectives

• Participants completing this educational program
  will be able to do the following
• Discuss OSHA Standards with regards to Infection
  Control.
• Discuss basic work practices with regard to
  Infection Control.
• Discuss proper hand washing techniques and
  disposing of infectious waste.
• Increase knowledge of MRSA and HIV/AIDS.

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Infection Control OSHA Standards

• The OSHA Blood-borne Pathogens Standard is the
  law, which sets forth the specific requirements
  OSHA believes will prevent the transmission of
  blood- born diseases to healthcare employees.

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Blood-borne Pathogens Standard

• Requires Employers to
• Make exposure determinations
• Develop a written Exposure Control Plan
• Use engineering and work practice controls
• Develop a system to evaluate exposure incidents
• Provide proper training to staff.

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Work Practices

• Hand washing
• Before and after patient contact
• After removal of gloves
• After contact with blood or other infectious
  materials.

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Work Practices

• All personal protective equipment shall be
• Removed where contamination occurs
• Placed in designated area or container for
  storage, washing, decontamination or disposal

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Work Practices

• Used needles and other sharps shall NOT be
• Sheared, bent, broken, recapped, or resheathed
• Removed from disposable syringes
• Sharps Container
• Emptied when 2/3rds FULL
• Stored in designated area in trunk or non
  passenger compartment

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Work Practices

• Laboratory or Medication Refrigerators
• No food and drink stored
• Temperatures checked daily
• Procedures with blood or other infectious
  materials
• Performed to minimize splashing, spraying, and
  aerosolization

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Work Practices

• Employees who fail to follow established
  policies and procedures governing occupational
  exposure to blood or body fluids are subject to
  disciplinary actions in accordance with
  organizational-specific personnel policies.

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Hepatitis

• INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER
• Caused by a Virus
• Several types of hepatitis
• Most common types
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B

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Hepatitis A

• May be from drug or chemical reactions
• Transmitted through
• Fecal-oral route (contaminated with infected
  feces)
• This means one has eaten food or has drunk water
  contaminated with infected feces
• Good hand washing prevents spread
• Usually a brief illness less serious than B
• Lasts only a few weeks

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Hepatitis B

• Also known as HBV
• significant health risk to all health care
  workers
• 300,000 cases occur annually
• 10,000 hospitalizations 800 deaths annually
• 4,000 HBV-related liver cirrhosis die annually
• 800 HBV-related liver cancer die annually

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Hepatitis B

• 90 of HBV sufferers recover
• Co-morbidities increase of complications
• CHF
• Diabetes
• Severe Anemia
• 750,000 to 1,000,000 carriers of HBV

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Transmission of Hepatitis B

• Found in blood, semen, vaginal secretions and
  body fluids
• Common transmission of hepatitis B
• Needlesticks
• Blood entering cuts other breaks in skin
• Sexual intercourse
• Sharing of needles

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Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus

• HBV can live a WEEK OR MORE on inanimate objects
• Spills or splashes of blood or body fluids must
  be
• disinfected, decontaminated, or sterilized

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Transmission of HBV B

• Transmitted through
• Blood transfusions
• Infected mother to her unborn child

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Hepatitis B Carrier

• May appear to have recovered but may have the
  virus in his/her blood.
• May also develop serious complications
• Cancer
• Cirrhosis of the liver

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Diagnosing Hepatitis B
Symptoms of Hepatitis B Symptoms of Hepatitis B
Fatigue Diarrhea Diarrhea
Nausea Vomiting Vomiting
Loss of appetite Mild fever Mild fever
Muscle/joint pain Urine may be dark Jaundice Itching Light or tan colored stools Itching Light or tan colored stools

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HEPATITIS B

• Long Incubation Period
• Symptoms Occur One to Five Months After Exposure
• Symptoms May Last One to Six Weeks

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Treatment of Hepatitis B

• Virus no antibiotic will be effective.
• Treat the symptoms.
• Rest and proper nutrition are extremely important.

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Hepatitis B Vaccination

• Recommended for ALL health care workersHep B
  series to ALL employees
• People at risk of blood or body fluids exposure
• Not Required but should be offered
• A series of three injections
• Most common side effect is soreness at site

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Preventive Measures

• Standard Precautions MUST BE Followed When
  Handling ALL Blood or Body Fluids
• Hand washing Use of Hand Sanitizer
• Use PPE When in Contact with Blood or Body Fluids
  

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Preventative Measures

• All contaminated sharps must be discarded into
  appropriate sharps containers.
• Needles should never be bent, broken or recapped
  by hand.

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Post-Exposure Evaluation/Follow-up

• All Incidents of Exposure Must be Reported
  IMMEDIATELY
• If Skin Punctured Cause the Site to Bleed
• Splash to Mouth or Eyes Flush Repeatedly with
  Warm Tap Water

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Post-Exposure Evaluation/Follow-up

• DO NOT WAIT. Immediate Treatment needed to
  Effectively Treat Hepatitis B Exposure
• Post-Evaluation/Follow-up should be provided to
  any Employee who is Exposed to Blood/Body Fluids

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Hand Washing Technique

• The 1 way to prevent the spread of infections
  Is Effective Hand Washing!
• Use Warm Water x 30 seconds
• Flow of Water is Wrist to Fingertips
• Use Soap and Friction
• Avoid touching sink or countertop
• Use paper towel to turn off water.
• Use Hand Lotion to Prevent Drying of Skin

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Infectious Waste

• Sharps Container
• Red Plastic Bags
• Bleach Solution 110
• BioHazard Label
• Gloves
• Gown
• Mask/shield

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Infectious Waste

• Sharps Containers
• Handled as infectious waste
• Needles placed in approved sharps containers and
  sent for incineration.
• 2/3rd FULL sharps containers are closed
• Taped over the top
• Labeled with the date and the branch name
  address

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Latex Allergy

• Avoid contact with latex if have a true allergy
  may need to wear medic alert bracelet.
• Latex is in many products other than gloves, such
  as Band-Aids, masks, blood pressure cuffs,
  catheters, stethoscope, goggles, etc.

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Latex allergy continued

• Blood test to check for true allergy.
• Make sure to wash hands as soon as gloves are
  removed if suspected allergy.
• 14 of people experience some type of allergy
  (due to proteins from rubber plant, which attach
  to powder and can get imbedded in skin)

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MRSA Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

• Staph is common on the skin of healthy people
• Some are resistant to Methicillin, antibiotic of
  choice in treating staph.
• Colonization MRSA is present but not causing
  illness.
• Infection Usually develops in hospital patients
  who are elderly or very sick. Healthy people
  rarely get MRSA.

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MRSA

• If colonized, does not require antibiotics.
• Vancomycin is drug of choice when treating MRSA.
• Hospitals usually isolate MRSA patients.
• Hand washing prevents spread of infection.
• Spreads easily among very sick patients with weak
  immune systems

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Major Factors that Influence Immunity

• Hygiene
• Age
• Nutritional status
• Medication
• Stress/fatigue
• Exposure to radiation/chemotherapy
• Heredity/ethnicity

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VRE- Vancomycin resistant enterococcus

• Healthy people usually not at risk
• Individuals with immunosuppression, underlying
  disease, presence of indwelling urinary catheter,
  G-tubes, etc are more susceptible.
• Wash hands thoroughly after contact with VRE
  patient or with any items the patient has
  touched.

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AIDS

• Virus (human immunodeficiency virus) causes AIDS.
• May be infected and show no symptoms with HIV
• Ways you can become infected with HIV
• Unprotected sexual contact
• Direct exposure to infected blood
• Sharing of needles with an infected person

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AIDS

• Long incubation period (2-10) years after initial
  infection
• Resembles flu like symptoms ie. headache,
  lymphadenopathy, body aches, malaise,
  maculopapular rash.

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AIDS continued

• Signs and symptoms of HIV infection
• Fatigue
• Mouth sores
• Diarrhea
• Dry cough
• Shortness of breath
• Chills
• Fever
• Night sweats

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• Questions/ Comments
• Evaluations Certificates

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References

• Wilkinson, I. (2005). Infection control Setting
  the scene. Retrieved September 8, 2009, from the
  following site http//www.dh.sa.gov.au/infectionc
  ontrol/DesktopModules/SSSA_Documents/LinkClick.asp
  x?tabid118mid650tableSSSA_DocumentsfieldIte
  mIDid37linkinfection-control-settingthescene
  -1.pdf.
• Protecting patients from bloodborne pathogens in
  healthcare settings. Retrieved September 8, 2009,
  from the following site http//www.cdc.gov/ncidod
  /dhqp/bp_patient.html.
• Overview for infection control best practices.
  Retrieved September 8, 2009, from the following
  site http//www.tahsa.org/files/DDF/ifoview.pdf.