TERM FOR ANY PLANT OR ANIMAL THAT CANNOT BE SEEN WITHOUT THE USE OF A MICROSCOPE. MICROORGANISMS ARE EVERYWHERE. SOME MICROORGANISMS ARE HARMFUL, SOME ARE NOT.

PATHOGENS  HARMFUL ORGANISMS THAT CAN CAUSE AN INFECTION WHEN THEY ENTER THE BODY. NONPATHOGENS  MICROORGANISMS THAT ARE NOT HARMFUL AND DO NOT CAUSE AN INFECTION. NORMAL FLORA  MICROORGANISMS THAT LIVE AND GROW IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS OF THE BODY.

 THE INVASION AND GROWTH OF DISEASE CAUSING MICROORGANISMS IN THE BODY.  AN INFECTION THAT A PERSON ACQUIRES WHILE IN A HEALTH CARE INSTITUTION.  PATIENTS ARE AT RISK FOR DEVELOPING A NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION BECAUSE:  THEY HAVE A WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM  MEDICATION MAY WEAKEN THEIR RESPONSE TO INFECTION  HIGHER INCIDENCE OF EXPOSURE FROM HEALTH CARE WORKERS OR OBJECTS CARRYING MICROORGANISMS

PERSON LIKELY TO GET A DISEASE IF EXPOSED PATHOGEN WHERE THE PATHOGEN LIVES IN THE BODY WHERE THE PATHOGEN LEAVES THE BODY HOW THE PATHOGEN TRAVELS WHERE THE PATHOGEN ENTERS THE BODY

INFECTIONS THAT RESIST THE EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTICS  THIS MAKES THE INFECTION DIFFICULT TO TREAT  CAUSED BY DOCTORS PRESCRIBING ANTIBIOTICS THAT ARE NOT NEEDED OR BY PATIENTS NOT FINISHING A COURSE OF ANTIBIOTICS  TWO COMMON DRUG RESISTANT ORANISMS:  MRSA - METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS - USUALLY FOUND ON THE SKIN AND NASAL PASSAGES. CAUSES SKIN AND LUNG INFECTIONS  VRE - VANCOMYCIN RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCUS - USUALLY FOUND IN THE INTESTINES AND IN FECES. CAUSES URINARY, WOUND, PELVIC INFECTIONS

 IMMUNE SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK AS WELL AS A YOUNGER PERSON’S  MAY NOT SHOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF AN INFECTION  THEY MAY NOT COMPLAIN OF PAIN  CONFUSION MAY OCCUR  AN INFECTION MAY BECOME LIFE-THREATENING BEFORE THE OLDER PERSON HAS SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

THE PROCESS OF DESTROYING PATHOGENS. THE PROCESS OF DESTROYING ALL MICROORGANISMS. THE PRACTICES USED IN HEALTH CARE FACILITIES TO REMOVE OR DESTROY PATHOGENS AND TO PREVENT THEIR SPREAD FROM ONE PERSON OR PLACE TO ANOTHER.

 WASH CONTAMINATED AREAS WITH SOAP AND WATER  PROVIDE THE PERSON WITH TISSUES TO USE WHEN COUGHING OR SNEEZING  WEAR PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AS NEEDED  DO NOT SHAKE LINENS  CLEAN FROM THE CLEANEST AREA TO THE DIRTIEST  DO NOT SIT ON BEDS  DO NOT USE THINGS THAT HAVE FALLEN TO THE FLOOR  CLEAN AND DISINFECT SHOWERS AND SHOWER CHAIRS AFTER EACH USE  CLEAN AND DISINFECT BEDPANS, URINALS, AND COMMODES AFTER USE  REPORT PESTS - ANTS, SPIDERS, MICE

DIRTY LINEN GOES IN THE DIRTY LINEN HAMPER. A PLASTIC BAG IS PLACED ON THE INSIDE OF THE HAMPER AND CHANGED WHEN IT IS FULL. THERE MAY BE A SEPARATE HAMPER FOR PERSONAL ITEMS (CLOTHING) AND LINEN.

ITEMS OR AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO DISEASE- CAUSING MICROORGANISMS. AN AREA IS CLEAN WHEN IT IS FREE OF PATHOGENS. AN AREA IS CONTAMINATED IF PATHOGENS ARE PRESENT

 BEFORE AND AFTER CARING FOR EACH PATIENT  BEFORE AND AFTER USING GLOVES  BEFORE AND AFTER EATING  AFTER COUGHING, SNEEZING, OR BLOWING YOUR NOSE  AFTER COMBING YOUR HAIR  AFTER USING THE TOLIET  BEFORE HANDLING “CLEAN” ITEMS  AFTER HANDLING “DIRTY” ITEMS  BEFORE AND AFTER SMOKING

 WASH YOUR HANDS UNDER WARM RUNNING WATER.  USE PAPER TOWELS TO TURN THE WATER ON AND OFF.  IF BAR SOAP IS USED, RINSE THE BAR FIRST AND HOLD THE SOAP DURING THE ENTIRE PROCEDURE.  HOLD YOUR HANDS AND FOREARMS LOWER THAN YOUR ELBOWS THROUGHOUT THE PROCEDURE.  ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THE THUMBS, KNUCKLES, SIDES OF THE HANDS, FINGERS, AND UNDER THE NAILS.  WASH YOUR HANDS FOR AT LEAST SECONDS.  DO NOT LEAN AGAINST THE SINK.  USE A LOTION TO PREVENT CHAPPING AND BREAKS IN THE SKIN.

 DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE RISK OF SPREADING PATHOGENS FROM BOTH KNOWN AND UNKNOWN INFECTIONS.  USED FOR ALL PERSONS WHENEVER CARE IS GIVEN.  PREVENTS THE SPREAD OF INFECTION FROM:  BLOOD  ALL BODY FLUIDS, SECRETIONS, AND EXCRETIONS  NONINTACT SKIN (SORES, SKIN TEARS,OTHER INJURIES)  MUCOUS MEMBRANES

 DO NOT WEAR ARTIFICIAL NAILS OR NAIL EXTENDERS  WEAR PPE WHEN CONTACT WITH BLOOD OR BODY FLUIDES IS LIKELY  WEAR GLOVES WHEN CONTACT WITH BLOOD OR BODY FLUIDS IS LIKELY  REMOVE GLOVES AFTER FINISHED GIVING CARE  DISCARD GLOVES AFTER USE  CHANGE GLOVES IF MOVING FROM CONTAMINATED AREA TO CLEAN AREA ON BODY  REMOVE ALL PPE BEFORE LEAVING THE PATIENT’S ROOM  TREAT SOILED LINEN WITH CARE TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION OF THE SURROUNDING AREA  WEAR GOGGLES OR FACE SHIELD DURING PROCEDURES THAT MAY CAUSE SPLASHES OR SPRAYS OF BLOOD OR BODY FLUIDS  FOLLOW AGENCY POLICY FOR CLEANING WORK, PATIENT CARE SURFACES, OR SOILED EQUIPMENT (BED RAILS, WORK SURFACES)  USE A FACE SHIELD TO PERFORM RESCUE BREATHING  A PRIVATE ROOM IS PREFERRED FOR A PERSON AT RISK FOR TRANSMITTING AN INFECTION TO OTHERS

 COLLECT ALL NEEDED ITEMS BEFORE ENTERING THE ROOM  REMOVE ITEMS FROM THE ROOM BY PLACING THEM IN PLASTIC BAGS  DOUBLE BAG GARBAGE AND LINEN BEFORE REMOVING FROM THE ROOM  REMOVE REUSABLE DISHES. DISCARD DISPOSABLE DISHES  DO NOT TOUCH YOUR HAIR, NOSE, MOUTH, EYES, OR OTHER BODY PARTS  PLACE CLEAN ITEMS ON A PAPER TOWEL  TELL THE NURSE IF YOU HAVE A SORE THROAT, OPEN SKIN AREAS, CUTS, VOMITING, OR DIARRHEA

CONTACT PRECAUTION  USED TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION BY DIRECT CONTACT (TOUCHING THE INFECTED AREA) OR  INDIRECT CONTACT (TOUCHING AN OBJECT THAT HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH AN INFECTED AREA)

DROPLET PRECAUTION  FOR INFECTIONS THAT ARE TRANSMITTED BY DROPLETS GENERATED BY COUGHING, SNEEZING OR TALKING  EXAMPLES : PNEUMONIA, MENINGITIS, DIPHTHERIA, WHOOPING COUGH, MEASLES, MUMPS, STREP INFECTIONS OF THE THROAT

AIRBORNE PRECAUTIONS  USED TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTIONS CARRIED BY SMALL DROPLETS THAT CAN REMAIN SUSPENDED IN THE AIR AND BE INHALED BY AN UNINFECTED PERSON  EXAMPLES: CHICKEN POX, TUBERCULOSIS, ANTHRAX

PROTECTIVE PROCEDURES ARE THOSE PROCEDURES NECESSARY TO PROTECT YOU FROM, AND PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTION. HEALTH CARE FACILITIES MUST PROVIDE WHATEVER PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT IS NECESSARY AT NO CHARGE TO THE EMPLOYEE.

WEAR GLOVES WHENEVER THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF COMING IN CONTACT WITH BLOOD, BODY FLUIDS, NONINTACT SKIN, SECRETIONS, OR EXCRETIONS.

 THE OUTSIDE OF THE GLOVES ARE CONSIDERED CONTAMINATED  GLOVES ARE EASIER TO PUT ON WHEN YOUR HANDS ARE DRY  LONG FINGERNAILS AND RINGS CAN TEAR GLOVES  DISCARD GLOVES AFTER USE  PUT ON NEW GLOVES WHENEVER GLOVES BECOME CONTAMINATED WITH BLOOD OR BODY FLUIDS  WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER REMOVING GLOVES

WORN WHENEVER THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT YOUR CLOTHING MIGHT COME INTO CONTACT WITH BLOOD OR BODY FLUIDS.

 GOWNS MUST HAVE LONG SLEEVES THAT FIT TIGHT AT THE WRIST  GOWNS MUST COVER A PERSON FROM THE NECK TO THE KNEES  THE GOWN OPENS AT THE BACK AND IS TIED AT THE NECK AND THE WAIST  THE OUTSIDE OF THE GOWN (FRONT) AND SLEEVES ARE CONSIDERED CONTAMINATED. THE BACK OF THE GOWN IS CONSIDERED CLEAN  GOWNS ARE USED ONCE AND DISCARDED

TO REMOVE THE GOWN  UNTIE THE NECK STRINGS  UNTIE THE WAIST STRINGS  GRASP THE GOWN AT THE INSIDE OF THE SHOULDER  PULL THE GOWN DOWN THE ARMS AS THE SLEEVES ARE TURNED INSIDE OUT  TURN THE GOWN INSIDE OUT  HOLD THE GOWN ON THE INSIDE AS THE OUTSIDE IS CONSIDERED CONTAMINATED

A MASK PREVENTS CONTACT WITH AIRBORNE PARTICLES THAT MAY BE INFECTED.

 MASKS ARE DISPOSABLE  A WET OR MOIST MASK IS CONTAMINATED  A MASK SHOULD FIT SNUGLY OVER THE MOUTH AND NOSE  A SPECIAL RESPIRATOR IS WOR WHEN CARING FOR PERSONS WITH TUBERCULOSIS  TO REMOVE A MASK -  REMOVE GLOVES  UNTIE LOWER STRING FIRST, THEN UPPER STRING  PROTECT YOUR EYES, MOUTH, AND NOSE FROM SPLASHING OR SPRAYING OF BLOOD OR BODY FLUIDS  THE OUTSIDE OF THE FACE SHIELD AND GOGGLES ARE CONSIDERED CONTAMINATED

EVERYTHING REMOVED FROM AN ISOLATION ROOM MUST BE DOUBLE BAGGGED.

 THE PERSON WEARS A CLEAN GOWN.  AN EXTRA LAYER OF SHEETS IS PLACED ON THE CART OR WHEELCHAIR.  PERSONS ON AIRBORNE AND DROPLET PRECAUTIONS WEAR MASKS.  YOU WEAR A MASK, GOWN, OR GLOVES AS REQUIRED BY THE ISOLATION PRECAUTION.  DO NOT LET ANYONE ELSE ON THE ELEVATOR.  THECART OR WHEELCHAIR IS DISINFECTED AFTER USE.

ITEMS CONTAMINATED WITH BLOOD, BODY FLUIDS, SECRETIONS, OR EXCRETIONS PROTECTS WORKERS FROM EXPOSURE TO THE AIDS OR HEPATITIS VIRUS INCLUDES ANY ITEM CONTAMINATED WITH BLOOD AND BODY FLUIDS

 MAY THINK ISOLATION IS A FORM OF PUNISHMENT FOR SOMETHING “BAD” THAT THEY DID.  MAY HAVE FEELINGS OF UNWORTHINESS.  MAY HAVE FEWER VISITORS.  REMEMBER, THE PATHOGEN IS UNDESIRABLE, NOT THE PATIENT.  ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION WHEN YOU ARE IN THE ROOM CARING FOR THE PATIENT.  TREAT THE PERSON WITH RESPECT, KINDNESS, AND DIGNITY.  SAY HELLO FROM THE DOORWAY OFTEN.