Infection Control


                       A SAFETY TALK FOR

                      DISCUSSION LEADERS







This safety talk is designed for discussion leaders to use in preparing safety

meetings.



Set a specific time and date for your safety meeting.  Publicize your meeting

so everyone involved will be sure to attend.



Review this safety talk before the meeting and become familiar with its

content. Make notes about the points made in this talk that pertain to your

workplace.  You should be able to present the material in your own words and

lead the discussion without reading it.



Seating space is not absolutely necessary, but arrangements should be made so

that those attending can easily see and hear the presentation.



Collect whatever materials and props you will need ahead of time.  Try to use

equipment in your workplace to demonstrate your points.











                      DURING THE MEETING



Give the safety talk in your own words.  Use the printed talk merely as a

guide.



The purpose of a safety meeting is to initiate discussion of safety problems

and provide solutions to those problems.  Encourage employees to discuss

hazards or potential hazards the encounter on the job. Ask them to suggest ways

to improve safety in their area.



Don't let the meeting turn into a gripe session about unrelated topics.  As

discussion leader, its your job to make sure the topic is safety.  Discussing

other topics wastes time and can ruin the effectiveness of your safety meeting.



At the end of the meeting, ask employees to sign a sheet on the back of this

talk as a record that they attended the safety meeting.  Keep this talk on file

for your records.

























Infection Control





NOTE TO DISCUSSION LEADER:



Before the session, you may want to prepare two culture plates. One should be

prepared by streaking the surface of the medium with dirty finger tips, perhaps

after working with a patient. The other should be prepared similarly except

hands should be washed carefully. The class will then be able to see that the

number of microorganism on the hands is greatly reduced by washing hands

properly.



         A mighty creature is the germ 

         Though smaller than a pachyderm

         His customary dwelling place 

         Is deep within the human race



         His childish pride he often pleases

         By giving people strange diseases.

                                Ogden Nash



It's true that some germs--a more accurate term for germs is microorganisms--

cause diseases, but it is also true that to do so, they require  our help. We

can refuse to help them and prevent the spread of infection by familiarizing

ourselves with, and constantly practicing, good infection control techniques. 



In order for an infection to spread, several factors must be present:



þ A source, usually an infected employee or patient, where the microorganisms

can grow and reproduce



þ A way out of the source: saliva, respiratory droplets, vomitus, urine, feces

and drainage from wounds



þ A mode of transmission, which may be direct (when one person kisses another

and contracts mononucleosis) or indirect (when microorganisms are carried from

one person to another by food, air, human hands or contaminated instruments)



þ A way to enter the host: mouth, respiratory tract, wound or injection 



þ A susceptible host



We can prevent the spread of infection by altering one of these factors; that

is, by curing the source or host; avoiding contact with secretions that contain

micro-organisms; disposing of, cleaning or sterilizing items that may transfer

the micro-organisms to another host; or by decreasing the susceptibility of

possible hosts. By following these rules, the number of people contracting

infections in the hospital should be significantly reduced.



If you think you may be a source of infection because you have a fever,

diarrhea, vomiting, skin lesions or other symptoms, go to your supervisor and

then to the employee health service or your own physician for treatment. This

will eliminate you as a source of infection.



When working with patients who are infected, carefully follow the rules for the

type of isolation prescribed. The  type will depend upon the kind of

microorganisms, the body secretions in which the microorganisms are found and

how these particular micro-organisms are transmitted. 



There are five types of isolation:  protective isolation, instituted when a

patient's resistance is low and needs to be protected from micro-organisms

carried by others; respiratory isolation; wound and skin isolation; enteric

isolation, instituted when microorganisms are present in the infected person's

urine or feces; and strict isolation, which is prescribed when a highly

contagious disease is involved. Various precautions are required: gowns, gloves

and/or masks, depending upon the type of isolation. Anything leaving the

patient's room, including specimens and trash, must be placed in a bag that is

then placed in an uncontaminated bag held by a second person at the door of the

room. Bags must be labeled to indicate that the contents are from an isolated

area. Linen, of course, must be double-bagged and the inside bag should be made

of a plastic that dissolves when it is placed in the washer. Carts, complete

with instructions and supplies, are provided for each type of isolation.



Wash your hands properly and frequently, especially after being with or near

patients and before eating; hands are the most common mode of infection

transmission in hospitals.



NOTE TO DISCUSSION LEADER:



Now is the time to discuss the difference in the two culture plates.



Properly dispose of or send for sterilization immediately those items used by

or for patients. Never carry items used by or for patients into other patients'

rooms, the clean utility room or the nurse station.



If you have a serious, infected wound, see a physician. A minor, uninfected

wound should be kept covered while at work; protect hand wounds with rubber

gloves when working with patients or things that patients have touched, like

secretions or linen.



Notify your supervisor of any wounds, so that you will not be assigned to

isolated patients.



Maintain your own health by getting good nutrition and proper amounts of sleep

and exercise to keep your resistance high so you are less susceptible to

infections.



Keep your tetanus immunizations up to date. In addition to the injections you

received as a child, you need a tetanus booster every eight to ten years and

after an injury if you have not received one within five years of the injury.



Infection control requires everyone's cooperation, because infections can

spread to many people by the thoughtlessness of an individual. Don't be

responsible for anyone's illness; do your part for INFECTION CONTROL.





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Text Version