Infection: Breaking the Chain (Nursing)

00:01 Hi, let's today talk about infection prevention and control.

00:05 This is a big topic, because infection prevention is vital to the improved patient outcomes, decreased healthcare costs to the patient and to the system as a whole.

00:17 So first of all, let's talk about infection.

00:19 What do you know about it? I know many of us has gotten a cut on our hand, or maybe on our leg.

00:25 It gets hot, it gets red, it gets swollen, it gets painful.

00:31 So when we're thinking about infection, think about invasion and multiplication.

00:36 So when invasion, we're thinking about a disease-causing agent like a bacteria, it could be a virus, which we're all pretty familiar with, yeast, fungi, or maybe other microorganisms.

00:49 What it will do is multiply and react with host tissue that cause a reaction and a disease.

00:57 So let's look at how infection incurs.

01:00 The first thing we're gonna do is look at the chain of infection.

01:04 So first of all, we're gonna start with that infectious agent we talked about such as bacteria or a virus.

01:10 So let's just use the example of a flu virus, I think we're all pretty familiar with that one.

01:16 All right, so when we're looking at that infectious agent, the first thing it's going to do is find a reservoir such as a human body.

01:24 Next in the chain of infection, we're gonna look at how does that virus leave that reservoir and exit the body? So this could be in the way of blood, respiratory secretions or any other body fluids.

01:40 So in the case of the flu, think about the respiratory secretions.

01:44 Okay, we just talked about those different body fluids that can be transmitted from the reservoir via different modes.

01:51 So some of those modes of transmission can include direct contact, respiratory droplets, or airborne.

01:58 If we think about the flu virus specifically, this typically travels via respiratory droplets.

02:04 Now later in this presentation, we're gonna talk about different precautions and health care we take to prevent this transmission.

02:12 Now the next thing, after we have a mode of transmission, it's got to enter the body in a certain way.

02:19 So this could enter via GI tract, maybe via cut on your skin, or other damage to some sort of mucous membrane.

02:27 Once we find a portal of entry, then we're gonna to look for a host.

02:31 This is where all the issues happen, because we're gonna find a host, then it's gonna further spread that pathogen in the cases we talked about, such as the flu virus.

02:41 Now when we're looking at a host, it does matter if the host is susceptible, such as a decreased immune system, or maybe an increased exposure.

02:50 So when we've looked at this chain of infection, what is the best way to break this chain? Wash your hands! It's all over the news, it's all over schools.

02:59 Believe it or not just simple soap and water, friction and washing your hands will do a very good job of breaking the chain of infection.

03:08 The other thing we want to think about that we can control as a host is increase your hydration, your rest and even your nutrition and exercise.

03:17 But first and foremost, washing your hands is definitely gonna make a difference.