4 Protocols That Hospitals Uses to Control Infection
It seems that when one child is sick at home, everyone in the house gets sick. But in the hospital, it’s not just one person who is ill; there may be hundreds of people with different kinds of illnesses and infections. Yet, the doctors and nurses who take care of these individuals can usually avoid getting sick by taking a few standard precautions.
To avoid illness, nurses, doctors, and other hospital staff follow a few simple (yet strict) rules to keep themselves safe from infections and other potentially hazardous contagions.
Here are some of the Precautions they follow:
1. Hospital Hygiene Protocols
In hospitals, infectious microorganisms can be transmitted in several different ways. Some are transmitted while sneezing or coughing when a bacteria or virus becomes airborne. Others can be transmitted from person to person via touch.
But, the most frequent route of transmission is indirect contact. This is when an infected person touches and contaminates an object or a surface that an uninfected person then touches.
To reduce the risk of infection not only to hospital staff but to other patients, several protocols are strictly followed. These include:
- Regularly disinfecting surfaces, instruments, and objects with approved antimicrobial agents or sterilizing techniques
- Frequent handwashing (with plain soap for routine handwashing or an antimicrobial agent for specific circumstances)
- Isolating (and, in some cases, quarantining) patients with known or suspected transmittable infections
- Mandating certain vaccinations for hospital staff, including for hepatitis B and the annual flu shot
2. Universal Precautions
Universal precautions is a term used to describe the practice of avoiding contact with a patient’s bodily fluids by using nonporous articles. As a rule, every patient is treated as a potential vector for infection even if they have no disease. This means that universal precautions are adhered to without exception or variation.
As a rule, no one should ever come into direct contact with blood, saliva, sputum, semen, vaginal secretions, amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, extracted tissues or organs, or fluids extracted from the joints, lungs, heart, or abdominal cavity (peritoneum).
To do so, healthcare workers are trained to adhere to universal precautions as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Among the key rules governing universal precautions:
- Use barrier protection at all times.
- Use disposable gloves when working around blood and body fluids.
- Change gloves between patients.
- Immediately wash hands after removing gloves or when exposed to blood or bodily fluids.
- Use glasses, goggles, masks, face shields, and waterproof gowns to protect from splashes.
- Use puncture-resistant sharps disposal containers.
- Never recap, bend, or break needles.
- Use resuscitation equipment in place of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
- Immediately sterilize all surfaces and devices after use.
- Seek appropriate care if there is possible bloodborne exposure
3. Airborne Precautions
There are also precautions to avoid infections spread by coughing and sneezing. Among the precautions used in people who have or are suspected of having an airborne-transmittable infection:
- Isolate the patient from others.
- Stand at least three feet (and ideally six feet) from the patient.
- Wear a surgical face mask before entering the room.
- Avoid touching surfaces unnecessarily.
- Wash hands vigorously after leaving the room.
4. Droplets vs. Aerosolized Particles
The precautions may be stricter depending on whether the infection involves droplets or aerosolized particles. The smaller the particle is, the farther it can travel and the deeper it can go within the lungs. Among the infection that can be spread by aerosolized particles are tuberculosis, chickenpox, herpes zoster (shingles). and influenza.
In cases where a serious pathogen is involved or an epidemic has been declared, other precautions may be implemented. Among them:
- The patient may be isolated in a negative pressure room. These are rooms in which the air is drawn out and not redirected into any adjoining rooms or hallways.
- Anyone entering the room may be required to wear a mask, face shields or goggles.
- Special ultraviolet (UV) lights may be installed to help kill the offending pathogen, such as in certain cases of tuberculosis.
In Conclusion,
Hospital-acquired infections are a concern not only to patients but to hospital staff as well. Without adherence to hospital hygiene protocols and universal precautions, infection rate would be higher.
Many of the same precautions taken by hospital staff can be applied if ever a family member falls ill or an outbreak of infection is declared by your local health department. By understanding the principle behind these precautions, you can better protect yourself and your family from harm.